Maledictum Magae
by bexi21
Summary: The curse happened in 1692.For over 300 years, Isabella Swan has lived alone, afraid to be close to anyone again.But when she finally meets someone who captures her heart, the unthinkable happens, leaving her in a kind of danger she never thought possible
1. Prologue

**Title:** Maledictum Magae

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **"Maledictum Magae" roughly translates to "The Witch's Curse." Why I'm writing another fic amidst the several WIPs I already have, I don't know. For those of you who read "Secret Prophecies," don't worry! I'm _not_ going to stop updating it. Mkay? My plan for this story is to update once a week as I already have a few chapters written, but we'll see how things go. Big thanks to my beta, **twi-ction**, for putting up with this insanity. And a HUGE thanks to the folks at **little_details** on LJ for helping me translate my title, (also to **this_ismy_story **for directing me to the site and to** pixievamp08** for putting up with me while I fretted over all of it).

**Summary:** The curse happened in 1692. For over 300 years, Isabella Swan has lived alone, afraid to be close to anyone again. But when she finally meets someone who captures her heart, the unthinkable happens, leaving her in a kind of danger she never thought possible. ExB, AU, OOC, rated M for violence and dark themes.

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**Prologue**

The air was thick. It smelled of must mixed with the particles of mildew that soured each breath.

The intricate spun web glistened beneath the moonlight as its thin, sticky strands fluttered in the light breeze. It hung in the corner of the small bedroom, decorating the shattered opening in the window.

She felt her heart jump as a beetle scurried past her foot, burying itself inside a hole in the splintered floor. The boards creaked beneath her muddy shoes, giving way to her weight as she snuck quietly into the abandoned room. She kneeled down before a small chest of three drawers, its walnut frame chipped and burrowed in by insects.

"It has to be here," she muttered to herself, pulling a drawer open and rifling through faded silk scarves, her fingers dislodging little mothballs in her quest.

When her nails began to scrape against bare wood, she knew she had hit the bottom of the drawer. Sighing in frustration, she held her head in her hands, feeling her heart splutter within her chest. Anxiety and fear seemed to wrap around her tightly, cocooning her petite frame.

That's when she saw it – a snag in the woodwork just at the bottom of the dovetail joint. Quickly, she stuck the tips of her fingers inside the crevice and pulled. Molded cloth and dust flew up around her as she lifted the flat slab of fractured wood out of the bottom of the drawer. Setting the slab aside and picking up a stray tattered scarf, she looked inside the antique crate where tea-stained papers and rust-tinged trinkets met her sight. Her small fingers gingerly leafed through the items – an old deed, a torn ragdoll, several cards that resembled recipes. Finally, she found the sole parchment she had come all this way for. She had only chanced a glimpse at it before, decades ago. The soft, gray pencil markings were almost completely faded into the bruised, fragile paper but Bella knew what those markings used to define. It was a sketch Mary Alice had made a week before her death – "a record of her vision" as she called it then.

Her hands shook as her eyes drank in the curves of the pencil, outlining the sketch of a young man – his cheekbones high, his long hair tied back, the slender lines of his neck.

She knew this man. She saw him everyday.

But this was no ordinary man.

A creak echoed from downstairs, startling her. Ice froze her nerves as she listened, hearing only the pulsing sound of her erratic heart. Wisps of her hair, as dark as chocolate, fluttered past her forehead as a slight breeze swept into the room. Her hands trembled, threatening to lose the crucial sketch as the paper wrinkled within her grasp. A mirror, cracked and tarnished, hung lopsided on the far wall. Her gaze instantly focused on it as waves of electricity shot down from the top of her head, flowing over her chest and limbs. Fear had proudly constricted the beating organ within her chest.

Glowing, golden eyes met her frightened gaze, reflecting back through the stained glass, staring at her delicate form within the shadows.

The drawing slipped through her fingers.

She held her breath… and waited.


	2. Ch 1: A Darkening Past

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Thanks so much to those of you who have checked out this little fic. I hope you continue to enjoy it! Just a forewarning here: some of you may not like the ending of this but please don't let it deter you from reading the rest.

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**Chapter 1: A Darkening Past**

_July 19, 1692_

The air reeked of sour mold and rotting, damp vegetables. Shouts rang throughout the crowd that gathered before the meeting hall in Salem Village. "They bewitched them girls!" and "Finally, we shall be saved!" Words and phrases riddled in lies and superstition clung to the atmosphere like a frightened child gripping his mother's hand.

Isabella adjusted her shift as the layers of her skirts clung to her legs. The mid-summer heat was stagnant, creating beads of perspiration that formed beneath her coif, dripping down the pale skin of her forehead and neck.

A large man stood in front of her. Goodman James, he was – a farmer who lived but two miles from Isabella's small home. She grimaced at the sound of rotting cabbage squishing in his dirtied hand.

He turned around to her, nodding in acknowledgment. "Miss Swan."

She glanced at him, nodded curtly, and directed her gaze to the wooden structure before them. Several thick ropes hung from the long pole that was supported by a wide stage. Her stomach twisted into sickening knots.

Isabella stood in the back of the crowd, disgusted with herself for even attending such an event, yet knowing that she would regret it had she not.

A few others stood close to the back as well; an older woman balancing a child on her hip, a young man glancing down toward the ground as he quietly chewed on the end of a straw of wheat, an elderly man breathing in the warmth of tobacco from his pipe. They were all like her, preferring to stay further away from the spectacle but unable to leave altogether. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall figure standing in the shadows. His blonde hair was tucked beneath a wide-brimmed hat and he hid the fingers of his left hand across his chest beneath the black jacket that he wore.

_Dr. Carlisle Cullen_.

He was a well-known and respected physician in the small town, but there was something different about him. His golden eyes bore through hers as if he could see into her soul. Only he and one other person knew of Isabella's secrets and because of that, she hoped that he would burn in hell for his actions.

Hate seethed through Isabella in that moment, rolling off of her in hot, crimson waves.

"May God hath mercy on you, Dr. Cullen," Isabella hissed.

His bright eyes slid over in her direction and she turned her head quickly to avert his gaze.

The dull trotting of horses sounded in the distance and a woman pointed and yelled out that the jail wagon was coming. Whoops and shouts reached a new level amongst the crowd, a deafening crescendo that rang loudly in Isabella's ears. She shut her eyes tight, feeling the bile simmer in the pit of her stomach, churning and turning into vomit that bubbled up her throat.

She silently uttered a prayer for the accused women who shook in the wagon as they were hauled toward the hanging stage, their hands gripping the metal bars on either side.

A sea of vegetables sailed into the air, splattering the tattered, withering bodies of the women as they shut their eyes and grimaced with each curse thrown their way. Amongst the chaos, Isabella spotted her, the younger woman in the group. She was smaller than the others, her petite frame quaking as the wagon shook. Her skin was paler, her eyes more hollow, her beautiful raven hair now chopped off and dull.

She willed the tears at bay as she watched the magistrate unlatch the wagon and bring the shuddering women forth, their hands bound together with chains. The crowd surged forward, shouting, crying.

As soon as the women were positioned before each of the dangling nooses, the magistrate called off their names in a flurry, accusing them guilty of witchcraft and sentencing them to hang by the neck until dead.

Isabella watched the woman she knew, her friend, and when their eyes locked she felt the shattering hearts of a thousand souls.

"Mary Alice Brandon!" the magistrate called, adjusting the rope around her frail neck as a minister came to her with a bible held in his shaking hands. "Will you confess your sins?"

Isabella couldn't take her eyes away from Mary Alice. She held her gaze until the very end, until her confession was merely a quivering version of the Lord's Prayer and until her body was hurdled into the air and left to hang with a sickening crack.

Her death had left the crowd cheering, but all she was left with was silence.

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**A/N #2:** I have made a little video for this fic. You can find it on my BAM page or on my Livejournal page. Thanks for reading!


	3. Ch 2: The Chilling Present

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Firstly, I'd like to just say that I've never been to WSU and know no one who goes there. I've looked at pictures of the campus online and have just come up with my own descriptions, so sorry to any of you out there who are students or alum from that school. I know I've probably royally butchered some of the descriptions. (please don't hurt me)

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**Chapter 2: The Chilling Present**

_January 18, 2004_

The soft glow of golden light bathed the open book before her. She tugged on her sleeves, pulling them over her hands in an effort to harvest more warmth. The calming silence of the library engulfed her as she drank in the heat of the words and the smell of must and worn leather that only thousands of books could possess.

Isabella, or Bella as she was now called, adjusted her legs by tucking them beneath her and shoving her hands down in the crevice between her thighs, only exposing one hand to turn a page. Thousands of dollars were donated to Washington State University every year, yet it seemed that none of it went to providing more heat in their buildings during the dead of winter.

Bella flipped another page in her tattered copy of _Mansfield Park_, adjusting the small frames perched on the bridge of her nose. She didn't need the glasses, but they made her feel more dignified somehow.

Someone cleared their throat softly a few tables down from her and she peeked up to inspect the source of the sound. The back of a boy faced her, probably not much older than herself, or at least what she pretended to be. He straightened in his seat and Bella took notice of the lean muscles that moved in his back, over his shoulders beneath the light blue shirt that he wore. The lamp on his desk caught the light of bronze streaks running through his auburn hair, each fine strand glistening brilliantly.

Bella couldn't help but stare at the individual before her, feeling foolish and yet unable to look away. He turned his head slightly to the side as if glancing back at her and she blushed a deep scarlet as she cast her gaze back to her book.

A few minutes later, she heard the soft click of his lamp turning off and she peered up at him through her lashes as he picked up his things and left. She watched his retreating form as he adjusted the collar around his jacket. Before he exited down the staircase, he turned to glance back at her, his eyes almost glowing in the shadows.

She instantly looked away, embarrassed for being caught. Shivering, Bella huddling herself up inside of her sweater even more as she looked out of the frosted window beside of her, watching the haze of dancing snowflakes spinning in the air.

Her small dorm room held a chill that sent Bella's teeth clattering as she entered and deposited her things. By luck of the lottery, Bella had a room to herself, which she was more than happy for. There was a small, old heater that sat beneath her window just beside of her twin bed. She went to it, warming her hands near the metal bars, sighing in relief. Kicking off her shoes, she turned around and waved her hand in a small arc in the air. Instantly, tiny flames sprouted up from the various candles she had strategically placed around her room. The fact that candles were not allowed in the dorms hardly stopped her from having them.

She grabbed a mug adorned with goofy yellow and green cats out of a wooden cabinet near her desk and went into the bathroom that she shared with her two suitemates. It was an icebox in the small adjoining room and Bella danced around in front of the sink until her mug was full of water.

Hurrying back into her room, she grabbed a packet of hot chocolate from the cabinet and nestled into her bed. Bringing the mug of water to her lips, she blew across the surface of the clear liquid. A deep warmth spread throughout the mug beneath her hands suddenly, creating small clouds of steam to rise from the top. Bella smiled to herself and poured the chocolately powder into the water. She grabbed the remote to her TV and settled in for a night full of Lifetime movies in which she imagined the leading man to be the auburn haired boy she had seen in the library.

There was a soft knock on her door from within the bathroom halfway through the second movie. Bella was so enraptured with the film – one about a woman on the run from her ex-lover – that she nearly fell out of the bed with a yelp. Quickly, she scampered off towards the door, squinting her eyes at the sudden bright light from the bathroom.

Warm, smiling eyes looked back at her from behind thin square glasses. The girl before her sniffed and Bella noticed the dry skin around her nose and several tissues clutched in her hands. "Hi, Angela. Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," she admitted tiredly. "I'm sorry to bother you, Bella, but that tea you gave me earlier really seemed to help. I was wondering if you had any more?"

Smiling, Bella opened the door wider for her friend. "Absolutely, and don't worry, I wasn't asleep yet." She pointed to the TV screen where the leading lady sped off into the night to get away from her assailant.

"Oh, I've seen this one!" Angela confessed excitedly. "Wait till you see how it ends."

Bella laughed as she prepared Angela's tea. The candles still flickered throughout the room, casting it in a comforting glow. "Do you want to stay and finish watching it with me?"

Angela blew her nose and smiled, nodding her head. "Sure."

Despite Bella's special abilities, she did have a microwave which she placed Angela's mug in after filling it with water. Her talents were kept secret and away from prying eyes, which sometimes proved to be difficult in the presence of others.

After a few minutes, she handed Angela the warm mug that was adorned with the phrase, "Some Like It Hot."

Angela giggled and took a seat in the cushioned dish chair that sat on the opposite side of Bella's room as Bella crawled back into her bed. "Do you think Jessica wants to join us?" she asked.

"She was asleep when I came in," Angela said around quick sips of her tea. "I'm surprised she's actually here instead of at Mike's room."

Bella snorted as she turned her gaze to the TV. She had met Angela and Jessica the year before in her Art History class and the three quickly became friends. They had set up to be suitemates for this year and it was just by chance that one of the rooms was a single, which Bella was quick to claim as her own. She liked the two girls, preferring Angela more as Jessica always seemed to pry into everyone's lives, but she was sweet nonetheless and Bella had grown to like her.

Angela had an innate ability to care for everyone and in that way she reminded Bella of Mary Alice.

Quietly, she sighed, her gaze growing distant as she thought back to the last time she had spent with her best friend.

"_Here, drink this Izzy." _

_Isabella sat at the wooden table in the middle of her small kitchen, head in her hands. Mary Alice placed a glass of brown liquid before her and she grimaced knowing exactly what it was. _

"_I have no need of a tonic, Mary." _

_The dirtied hem of Mary Alice's skirt swirled around her ankles as she sat opposite of Isabella. A stray piece of ebony hair fell out from beneath her coif and she hastened to tuck it back in. "You will need it. I've seen it."_

"_Why?" Isabella asked, her voice slightly panicked. _

_Mary Alice didn't say a word, but silently pushed the glass closer to her friend. _

_Glaring at her, Isabella quickly swallowed the tonic, grimacing at its putrid taste. "Thou wilt tell me," she demanded, slamming the glass on the table._

_Mary Alice shut her eyes, her jaw clenched, at the rumbling sound. "You needn't worry, Izzy. I've taken care of it." _

"_Taken care of what?" _

_A sharp rap came from the front door and both girls turned toward the sound. Mary Alice rose slowly, her eyes wide. _

_Isabella gripped her arm. "What has thou done?" _

_Several more knocks pounded on the door before a gruff voice called out, "Miss Isabella Swan, I'm told thou keepest a Miss Mary Alice Brandon 'ere." _

_Easily shaking loose from her grip, Mary Alice began straightening the folds in her skirt. "Answer the door, Izzy," she murmured. _

"Oh!"

Bella was shaken from her thoughts as Angela cried out from a particular scene in the movie. She cleared her throat to rid it of the sadness that had consumed her. "Do you need me to refill your tea?"

Angela turned to her and smiled, declining her offer.

Leaning her head against the wall next to her bed, Bella stared blankly at the TV as the movie drew to a close. And as the sharp, cold wind blew past her window, she wished that her life had belonged to someone else.

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I know it doesn't reveal much, but more is to come! Reviews are much appreciated. :)


	4. Ch 3: Cinnamon Hair and Familiar Eyes

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Big thanks to my beta, **twi-ction**. And thank you for all of your kind reviews for the last update. I hope you all enjoy this one!

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**Chapter 3: Cinnamon Hair and Familiar Eyes**

Thick, crystalline flakes swept through the air; a sea of pillow-like feathers. The newest version of _Mansfield Park_ unfolded across Bella's small TV screen, though her eyes remained glued to the floor. She felt hazy, her mind clouded with memories that she had tried so hard to suppress.

"_You have a true gift, Izzy," Mary Alice murmured, smiling as she stood up from the ground and began to walk to the back door of Isabella's home. _

"_You really think so?" _

_Isabella knelt before the small flower garden and she smiled, looking at the fragile green stem that had sprouted up before her. _

_Mary Alice paused in the doorway, her small hand resting against its frame as she watched her friend. "Aye." _

_Focusing on the stem, Isabella passed her hand in the air just over the small tip and watched with happy eyes as a rose bloomed into several magenta petals. _

The wind howled outside her window and she wrapped her arms around her petite frame more tightly. Her first class wasn't until that afternoon, and Bella wished that she could just skip it.

"No," she sighed aloud, rubbing at her tired eyes. "Just suck it up, Swan."

Her attention turned to the movie where a stoic Edmund confessed his love for Fanny Price. And as Bella watched the scene unfold before her a deep sadness wrapped around her heart.

"As a man loves a woman," Edmund said. "As a hero loves a heroine… as I have never loved anyone in my entire life."

Bella sighed, her gaze traveling away from the screen once more, reflecting on the mishaps that her own love life had held. Being who she was, she could never fall for one person and truly be with them. She had a love once… a long time ago. "Jacob…" she murmured sadly. For nearly four hundred years, she walked this world alone, unable to find solace or happiness again. Ever since Mary Alice's death, Bella had been cursed with an unnatural long life – an immortal life.

"I just want to be happy," she whispered, bringing her knees to her chest. "How can I be happy?"

Edmund and Fanny's lips touched on the screen and a shimmering fluorescent light glimmered around the square edges, catching Bella's eye. She watched the light brighten, wondering what her innate talents were trying to tell her. In the past, Bella had learned that sometimes when she asked something, it was as if the power she possessed spoke back to her without her having to command it. She watched the white hot glow expand from the screen until it shot across her room, smacking into her window. It left a circular clearing in the fog that had clung to the glass and Bella slowly climbed out of bed to glance out into that winter morning.

The snow had begun to grow heavier, layering the ground in white glittering blankets. A few cars passed by slowly on the main road, but there was no one else around. Naked footprints were left in the snow, leaving evidence of people who had come and gone. The glass felt like ice on her pale skin as she leant her forehead against the windowpane. Releasing a heavy whoosh of hot air, Bella noticed a slight movement from behind the dark outline of an oak tree. She watched, curious, as the movement increased. A figure stepped out from behind the trunk, his hands shoved deep within the depths of his pockets. Her breath seemed to cease as she took in the disheveled locks of bronze hair that swayed in the wind above his head. He froze in his place as if sensing something and she watched as his eyes gradually lifted to meet her gaze. A bright crimson flush broke out across her skin, spreading over the curves of her cheeks. And like a fire races through a dense underbrush, the candles of her room erupted in small flames. She gasped, spinning around to face the dancing lights. Breath increased, she arched an eyebrow at the spectacle before her, unsure of what had just happened. Though her mind raced, her feet clumsily carried her back to the window in hopes of seeing him again.

Yet, there was nothing but the tall oak with its dried limbs reaching out toward the heavens as the sky widened to release more of its frozen tears.

He was gone.

~*~*~

The auditorium room was bursting with chatter as Bella walked in ten minutes before her class. Static electrical fuzz overtook the room as a small radio sat on her professor's desk. Every day, Professor White would turn on the small radio to NPR and allow the news to spread throughout the room, claiming that listening to it would stimulate everyone's mind.

Bella hauled her bag up the stairs as the familiar tune for the radio station blared in her ears. She found her usual seat in the back empty and made her way up the isle. Just before she dropped her bag to the floor, she let out a small gasp. Sitting behind her was the boy she had seen outside of her window – the same one she had seen in the library the night before. _But had he been in class this entire time?_ she thought. In her mental recall of that year, she didn't remember ever seeing him. However, if he had been sitting behind her for that length of time, she was a complete moron for not ever noticing him before. _Surely, I would have seen him_.

Confusion lacing her thoughts, she barely registered the slight lift in his head as he moved his gaze to hers. But before their eyes could meet, Bella instantly turned around, cheeks flaming, and dropped her bag. In her haste, her foot caught on the black canvas strap and she all but fell into her seat.

_Wonderful_. She shut her eyes tight, feeling the simmering boil of embarrassment spread throughout her limbs.

"Two campers were killed today in the small town of Forks, Washington," announced a crackling female voice from the radio. "Local Police believe it to be a bear attack, but investigation is still underway. The campers were two young men in their early twenties from Portland, Oregon."

A crease formed in the middle of Bella's head as she listened to the news broadcaster. Bear attacks seemed to have been happening recently throughout the state of Washington and it wasn't the first time she had heard of such events occurring all at once.

Professor White walked in briskly, the wispy, remaining threads of his silvery hair waving wildly as he raced to his desk. "All right," he bellowed, shutting off the radio and thereby silencing the garbled static that had suddenly entered the room. "Mansfield Park." He held up his own copy of the book as his eyes glanced around the class. He narrowed his gaze, inspecting the faces of his pupils. "Who has not been reading this? Come on, I know that even in a specialty course like this there are a few of you who could care less. Now be honest."

A few timid hands rose into the air and his salt and pepper eyebrows shot up, signaling his correct assumption. "Good. Excellent." He then pointed to one of the students, his voice authoritative. "Why?"

Bella rolled her eyes, knowing that he would spend the first fifteen minutes going over the importance of such literary work, and so she settled down into her seat and began to read her book.

The seconds passed into minutes, idle talk transformed into captivating lectures, and pens bled their ink creating words that filled the mind with heady knowledge. By the time their class had come to an end, exhaustion settled into Bella's limbs. She longed to crawl back in her bed, nestled between warm blankets and shadows clouding her world in a blissful night.

"Be prepared for your test on Friday, folks. It'll be four essay questions, so don't forget to buy a blue book!" Professor White practically shouted the last words as students milled down the stairs toward the front door.

_Guess that ruins my naptime_, Bella thought, annoyed, as she grabbed her things and prepared to leave. It occurred to her then that not once had she noticed the presence of the mystery boy behind her in class. But as she turned around, an empty seat stared back her, mocking her as if to say, _'you'll never catch me._'

She looked at it for a few brief seconds, lines creasing the skin in her forehead as confusion swept over her face. And with a shake of her head, the moment was gone.

Bella left the auditorium, glancing curiously at Professor White as he mumbled a song to himself, moving his head along to some silent beat. She never would understand teachers in this age.

The stinging wind bit at her cheeks as soon as the double doors opened to the winter laden campus, but she welcomed the fresh air and the chance to get away. Crystals of salt crunched beneath the bottoms of her boots as she made her way down the sidewalk that led to the library. The snow wrapped around her, clinging to her lashes and turning her nose red. She sniffed and looked up at the stone gargoyles that hid in the crevices of the gothic building before her, its towers reaching high into the frozen sky. Several students pushed open the heavy doors to the library, shivering as they rushed past her. Reaching out a bare hand, her fingers almost numb, Bella gripped the large metal handle and pulled the door open, burying herself in the warmth of the thick walls, which enclosed the building. Though there was still a cool breeze that swept through the entryway, it was far more comfortable inside than out.

Bella passed the main hall of the library where she could see several students studying beneath green-glass lights on long narrow tables. She made her way up the stairs on the far wing of the building, moving toward a smaller section where single desks were nestled amongst rows upon rows of books. There was a desk off in the back beside an intricate clear, stained-glass window, which she enjoyed looking out of from time to time. It was her usual spot. She felt tucked away there, her mind safe and able to wander aimlessly through the tales of other characters and people and away from the tragedies and loneliness that haunted her many years.

But today served a different purpose, it seemed.

Bella stopped short of the rows of desks, noticing that there seemed to be someone sitting in her usual spot. Not that her name was mounted on the desk, but she felt entitled to claim it as her own and to see another person sitting there made her blood boil.

Fire heating her steps, she marched to the desk _behind_ hers and dropped her bag down with a resounding thud. Maybe she was being childish… actually, she most certainly was, but Bella felt out of place, cramped beside of the sand colored wall.

Sighing, she dug through her bag and pulled out her book. Other students would have been writing down notes as they read, but Bella had read this particular book several hundred times, along with Jane Austen's other novels. It seemed trivial to her when she could practically recite every passage from memory. But still she read the same books over and over, willing her mind to escape old memories. Opening a small black case that she tucked in the front pocket of her sweater, she pulled out her glasses and began to read.

The sound of chair legs shuffling across the carpeted floor made her stir as she looked up from the book. The person before her, the one who had been sitting at her desk, stood and stretched his arms over his head. She took in the copper waves of hair, standing in every which direction, like wild brush strokes against a blank canvas. He turned around in her direction and she instantly ducked her head, flipping another page loudly, anxiety and embarrassment taking over her at the discovery of the person she had been so angry with.

As she neared the bottom of the page she currently made herself read – though she was really listening out for him – a soft musical voice floated above her.

"I'm sorry, are you an English major?"

Startled, she looked up to see the boy with the cinnamon colored hair looking down at her. His eyes were a radiant shade of amber and the breath caught in her throat. She knew those eyes…

A slight crooked grin drew the shape of his lips and she shook her head slightly when she realized she was gaping.

"Um… yes, I am. How did you know?"

"You're in my Jane Austen class," he said, nodding toward her book. He held up his own worn copy of _Mansfield Park_ for her eyes to inspect. "Most people in that class are English majors."

"And you're not?" she questioned.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm undecided at the moment."

"Hmmm." Bella nodded and took off her glasses, laying them on the cherry-stained wood. "Was there something I could help you with?"

"I'm new here – just transferred in after the holiday break – and I noticed that you spend a great deal of time in the library. There's a research project that I have to do for my anthropology course and I was wondering if you knew where the card catalogues were."

She quirked an eyebrow, wondering at his request. "Why not ask one of the student workers?"

"Ah, but that would defeat the purpose of talking with a beautiful young woman instead." He smirked down at her, enjoying the blush that crept across her cheeks.

She laughed nervously, tucking strands of her chocolate hair behind her ear. "You're going to have to give me more than that if you want my help, mister."

He gave her a pointed look, eyebrows raised. "Like what?"

"A name would be nice."

He smiled, extending his hand. "Edward."

Bella looked appreciatively at him, thinking he, indeed, looked like an Edward. And after his confession of transferring, she knew why she hadn't seen him in her class before. Somehow that comforted her. She slid her hand into his, shivering at his touch. "Your hand is cold," she shuddered.

"I'm afraid I come by that naturally," he explained, quickly shaking her hand before hiding it away in the depths of his pocket.

She tucked her hand back into the sleeve of her sweater. "My name is Bella. It's nice to meet you."

He hummed at the sound of her name and she felt a delicious chill run down her spine. "Well, Bella," he said. "Care to show the new kid around?"

Bella grinned, and picked up her jacket from the back of her chair, shrugging it on. Edward watched her curiously and the intensity in his eyes as she focused back on him made her anxious.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked, brows knitting together.

She sighed and straightened in her position before him. "See that guy over there behind the counter?" she asked, pointing toward the front of the room. A young man sat behind a large desk, constantly pushing his long onyx bangs away from his eyes as he talked animatedly on his cell phone. Edward followed the direction of her finger and smirked. "His name is Eric," Bella explained pointedly. "He _works_ here. Maybe you should ask him for help."

Edward opened his mouth to argue, but Bella silenced him by jutting a finger into his chest. "And the next time you want to talk to me, don't ask me for some lame favor as a cover-up."

He crooked the corner of his lips up into a grin, seemingly pleased with her retort.

"Good luck on your research," she muttered, eyes dancing as she turned around to make her exit.

Edward stood by the desk, hands shoved into his jeans' pockets, a mischievous light sparking across his face. "Don't forget to study for that test," he called out.

Bella waved her hand in the air, her back still facing him as an amused grin spread across her lips. And as she walked out to the stairwell, she could have sworn she heard him whisper her name.


	5. Ch 4: Chance Encounters

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait in an update, guys. RL has been keeping me busy, as usual. First, I want to give a big thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter! I hope you all enjoy this one - there's more E/B interaction in it. ;)

Also, another big thanks to my beta, **twi-ction**, for looking this over - love ya, girl.

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**Chapter Four: Chance Encounters**

_Trees – bare and dead. Their leaves litter the ground, crunching beneath naked, dirtied feet. She turns, her eyes dancing between the shadows. Her breath billows into the night air and she feels the fear crawling beneath her skin. A spider scuttles over the leaves, racing across the bridge of her foot before disappearing once more. She runs. There are noises behind her – whispers. They cling to the air, floating in its stagnant molecules. _

_There's a house in the distance. Its crooked windows and broken stairs make her scream inside. She knew this house when it was alive. Now it only resembled death. She sees the reflection of fog behind her. Its thick surging smoke chases after her, wanting to claim her for its own – a specter of the night. _

_She turns. There's a figure nearby. Its black mass darts in and out of the woods, hiding behind the obsidian trees. Its too fast and she has no where to go. _

_Heart pounding, the whispers grow louder. She sees the black shapeless form pass before her eyes once more. _

_A ghost. _

_A demon. _

_The figure comes forward, no longer a mere shadow. It stares back at her – eyes the color of blood, hair the texture of crows wings, sharp teeth dripping with clear liquid. _

_A vampire. _

Gasping, Bella sat up in her bed, her sheets tangled around her sweat-soaked legs. The wind howled sharply outside her window, stirring a sea of snow flurries that peered in to witness her fear.

Her eyes darted from side to side, corner to corner. Her chest burned with the heavy weight of cold oxygen filling her lungs. The white comforter crimped beneath her clutching fingers and she felt the downy feathers from within prick her skin.

Drip… drip…

Hot liquid pooled in her eyes. One by one, the tears fell. They slid down her cheeks as her eyes began to sting and the tiny red veins of fire bled through their white sclera.

Bella let her head fall until her shoulders were hunched, and wept.

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The weekend held many opportunities – a break from the demands of a busy life. For working parents, it meant spending time with their children. For the kids in school, it meant less time doing homework and more time playing video games. For the college students and working young adults who had no family to take care of, it meant alcohol, sleep, and sex – maybe more so for the students. And for the elderly, it meant spending time with their loved ones, watching the world pass by on headline news and enjoying a good game of bridge or even a quiet moment with a pencil and a crossword puzzle.

But for Bella, a girl who lived longer than any one person she had ever known, it meant another day. It meant more hours, countless minutes, and the never-ending cycle of the Earth spinning on its axis. Time meant nothing. She existed because there were no limits. People adapted to the changing seasons around her and life still carried on. She merely stood in the middle, alone, watching it all happen and wishing she could be a part of it. She ate, she slept, she had bodily functions just like everyone else, but she did everything in her life alone. Friends came and went. She could never truly be close to anyone, given her situation. Every few years, she would move… change schools… perhaps even work in a place she found interesting at the time. And then she'd pack up her things, leave, and start all over again.

Life changed around her but she was forever frozen in the body of an eighteen-year-old girl. She could change her hair and play with makeup to make her seem younger or older, but it was only a mirage – a falsehood.

There was no one she could confide in. No one would really understand, nor would they even try.

Sometimes she tried to forget her past… even the present… but her dreams would always bring her back on her feet, ready to face another day, another lifetime alone.

It was all she ever knew.

The small Corolla beeped loudly, signaling its shift into front wheel drive and Bella sighed as she gradually made her way over the ice and packed snow that the plow failed to push away.

Laughter hung in the air as a couple of kids – two young girls – ran through the snow of their front yard, pelting each other with snow balls. One of them had hair the color of butter and it flew around her shoulders wildly beneath her purple knit hat.

Bella felt the hole in her heart widen, feeling the emptiness of the curse ever present around her.

Alone. It was a word that could be said in many different languages, either with characters or letters. It was spoken in different tongues, each unique voice giving rise to a key emphasis behind the pronunciation. But no matter who spoke the word and how it was said, it always left the person feeling the same way every time. The meaning was no different.

And Bella would forever feel that way.

_The fire flickered and cracked in the darkness as Isabella bent over to stoke the wood. Orange sparks flew up at her, sending much needed warmth. _

"_You are being careful, aren't you?" _

_She turned around, a few loose strands of her hair slipping from her coif. A native man, with skin the color of chestnuts, watched her carefully. His dark eyes followed her every movement and the glass of water that she had given him laid untouched on the wooden table between them. _

"_Of course, Jacob," she whispered. "I don't go out after the sun sets. You know this." _

"_I still have to ask," he murmured, casting his gaze to the floor. "The tribe has been talking. There are… evil people out there. People are disappearing, Izzy." _

_Isabella stood, wiping her hands against her apron. "They've mentioned such events in Boston, Jacob. A half a world from here." _

"_Nonsense," he growled and the light from the fire reflected dangerously in his eyes. "There are disappearances here too and… strange things are happening." _

_The tone in his voice made chills run down the length of Isabella's spine. She had not yet heard of these "strange things." _

_Jacob stared directly at her, his jaw set. "There was a dead cow in Goodman James' pasture the other day." _

_Despite the seriousness of his demeanor, Isabella let out a hushed giggle. "Really Jacob. Cows die. It's the way of life." _

"_No," he said resolutely, shaking his head. "Twas not normal, Isabella. The cow was completely drained of blood. Drained!" _

"_That's impossible." She quickly grabbed the glass from the table, intent on dumping the contents in a pot of herbs by her window, but Jacob stole the object from her. In seconds, he had thrown the glass into the fire. The flames jumped as crystalline shards littered the ground. _

"_Tis not a game, Isabella!" He clutched her arms pushing her back against the wall. Though his voice was rough, his eyes pleaded with her. She looked up at him, startled. "I would never lie to thee. There are things happening beyond our control." He swallowed, suddenly overcome with grief. "I love thee," he whispered. "And I know of your talents, Izzy. Though others do not. They will suspect people eventually. The events that are taking place can not be explained but by one thing." _

"_Witchcraft," she muttered, suddenly afraid. "But thou know I could never – "_

"_I know," he interrupted, gently cupping her cheek. His thumb softly rubbed the smooth skin there. "I know. Just be careful, my love. I have worked too hard to be close to you. I have left my ways to take on those of the white man, just to be with you. Please keep safe so that we are never parted. Promise me." _

_Isabella turned her face into his hand, kissing the rough skin of his palm. "I promise."_

The windshield wipers squeaked and stuttered across the glass as they attempted to wipe away the evidence of the falling snow. Hundreds of years had passed since Bella had last seen Jacob, yet he still lived on in her heart and in her memories.

Slowing her car to a stop, Bella parked outside of a small gift shop, "Claire's Creations." It was a unique shop outside of campus, carrying a variety of bath soaps and lotions, and small gift items. It even had a coffee bar and a variety of fresh fudge and truffles to choose from. It was a place where Bella worked, filling up some of her time while she resided here. Angela worked with her as well, but since she was sick, Bella entered the small store alone.

A radiating heat warmed her to the bone as she heard a miniature bell chime overhead, signaling her arrival. The smell of lavender and coffee beans drifted into her nostrils and she breathed in deeply, instantly relaxing.

"Bella!" a warm voice called to her.

Opening her eyes, Bella smiled at the older woman, Claire, who owned the store. She had an apron wrapped around her waist as she exited from behind the coffee bar.

"How are you dear? Is Angela still under the weather?"

"Yeah, she is," Bella said, shuffling her boots against the welcome mat. "She should be better by Monday though."

Claire smiled warmly. "Good. Why don't you go put your things up? I think that gelato you put together yesterday is done."

Claire was a kind individual and definitely everything a person could have wanted in a boss. She was in her mid forties and lived about twenty minutes away with her husband in a small bungalow. The customers loved her and she made it a point to be personable with all of them, feeling that everyone should be comfortable in her store.

After putting up her things, Bella grabbed an apron and set to work. She typically worked behind the coffee bar, attending to drinks and making up the chocolates that sat out on display. She even made the gelato in the three-gallon ice cream tub that she carried over to place in the freezer behind the display glass. With as cold as it was outside, she didn't think she'd get many takers on the frozen dessert, but some people pleasantly surprised her.

This weekend, she was solely in charge of the coffee bar as Claire took over the gift-wrap area where Angela would normally be. But it was still early and no one had arrived in the store yet.

"Well, why don't we have a sample?" Claire asked, gesturing toward the ice cream tub.

Smiling Bella grabbed two Styrofoam cups and scooped out a bit of the gelato for them both. "That sounds like a great idea, if I do say so myself."

Just as she was about to take her first bite, the bell over the front door chimed.

Spoon in hand, Bella looked toward the front door, and her eyes widened significantly.

Edward, the boy she had spoken with at the library, had just walked into the store. Snowflakes clung to the ends of his hair and he hastily wiped off the soles of his shoes on the small floor mat.

"I think it's getting colder out there," he said, smiling up at both Bella and Claire. While Claire pursued talking with him, Bella could only stare. She felt like a complete idiot as her cheeks flamed brilliantly.

Edward turned to her, a smirk dancing across his lips. "Hello again."

"Oh, you two know each other?" Claire inquired, eating the last of her gelato.

Without taking his eyes away from Bella, Edward replied, "Bella's in my Jane Austen class. I had no idea she worked here."

That snapped her out of her stupor.

"Right, and why else would you be coming in here, Edward? I doubt it's to buy rose-scented body lotion."

Claire shot her a look but Edward merely snorted in response, seemingly amused. "Well, I _could_ have been interested in some coffee."

Rolling her eyes, Bella sighed. "Fine. What can I get for you?"

The light his tawny gaze sparkled as his grin became just a bit wider. "Wonderful customer service there, Bella. And I said _could_, not that I _was_ interested."

"So… what do you want?"

"Bella just made some wonderful gelato, Edward. We'll give you a free sample if you'd like," Claire piped up, hoping not to have a potential customer scared away.

Turning to her, Edward gave her his best smile. "Thank you so much for the offer and I'm sure the gelato is amazing, but unfortunately, I must decline it. However, I've been meaning to stop in here to find a gift for my sister."

"Oh wonderful, well take your time then." Claire seemed happy with his response and walked back to the gift-wrap table where she proceeded to organize the paper.

As soon as Edward turned back to Bella he was met with a menacing glare.

"Unfortunately, I must decline it?" she repeated. "What normal teenager talks like that?"

"Smart ones," he retorted. "And why would you think I'm a teenager? Our class is full of seniors."

She studied him for a moment, choosing to avoid his last comment. "You aren't planning on buying anything are you?"

"I haven't decided yet," he shrugged.

"You're lying." Her eyes narrowed as she continued to glare. Tossing away her untouched, melted gelato, Bella leaned forward so that her arms rested against the display counter. "You followed me here didn't you?"

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

She raised her eyebrows, sizing him up as she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "Well?"

Sighing, and obviously frustrated, Edward leaned against the case. "Alright, if you must know, I was in the bookstore across the street and saw you come in here. I did think I might be able to talk with you but because being civil is obviously a challenge for you, I'll happily walk right back out."

Bella gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing like that of a fish. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he replied, smug. "Is it so hard for you to believe that I actually _want_ to talk with you?"

Flustered, Bella turned for the sink behind her and began scrubbing away at dirtied coffee mugs. "You hardly know me. Why do even want to talk to me?" she asked, not bothering to turn around.

"For the same reasons that any guy would want to talk to an attractive girl. I was only going to ask you if you wanted to study for that test this week anyway."

Bella's hands immediately halted and she slowly turned around to face him, warm sudsy water dripping from the mug to the floor. "What?"

Edward pushed himself off of the display case and walked over to the side where an opening led behind the counter. He stopped just before passing through, still giving her some sense of personal space.

"Dr. White's test this Friday on Mansfield Park? I thought we could meet up tonight to study."

Bella stared at him for an inappropriate amount of time. Part of her mind told her that she should be ecstatic. She couldn't deny the fact that she was somewhat attracted to him. In fact, it'd be ludicrous to not be attracted to the man. But the other part of her brain, the sane part, told her it was a mute point. She could never be with someone, at least not given her situation. She would be young forever and he… well, he just didn't fit into that equation. The more ecstatic part of her spoke up again, telling her that it wasn't as if he was asking her on a date. He was asking her to study with him – two completely different things, she thought anyway.

He stayed still the whole time she mentally warred with herself over what to say. For a moment she didn't think he had breathed at all, he had remained so motionless.

"You do realize what day it is don't you?" she finally said.

He blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, it's Saturday. Most people don't study on Saturday nights."

That mischievous grin that he wore so well began to take shape once more. "No offense, Bella, but I don't see you as most people."

Frowning, she took a step closer to him, ready to accuse him of not knowing a damn thing about her, but she had suddenly forgotten all about the puddle of water by her feet. If there was one word to describe Bella Swan, in all of her years, it was klutzy.

The tread of her shoe couldn't seek purchase on the floor as water sloshed beneath it. Bella felt her hips pivot forward as she fell back. Mentally, she prepared herself for the crushing bruise that was about to form across her tailbone as soon as she hit the ground. But before she had time to truly process it, a pair of strong arms snaked around her waist. She gasped, her eyes wide, as she stared into a striking amber gaze. It took her back to a life she didn't want to relive. Ever.

"Are you all right?"

A voice drifted above her, but for a moment, she couldn't place it. Her whole world was absorbed in the familiarity of his eyes.

"Bella? Are you okay? Talk to me."

The quick rush of heels fluttered past them and a new voice entered her mind. "Oh my God, Bella! Did she fall? Is she okay?"

Claire's voice broke the spell that had left her paralyzed. She swallowed and nodded. "Yes," she murmured. "Yes, I'm all right."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief and she felt a cool rush of air spread across her face. She shivered as he helped her stand, careful to keep her away from the water on the floor.

"I was just being clumsy, Claire, " Bella said with a dry chuckle, doing her best to laugh it off. "I'm fine, really."

Claire held her hand to her chest as she took in a deep breath. "Well thank God Edward was there to catch you. You could have cracked your head open! You're sure you're not hurt?"

After insisting that she, indeed, had not a single scratch on her, Bella shooed Claire off to help a customer who had just walked in.

Quietly, she cleared her throat as she reached above the sink for a paper towel. Edward hadn't moved away from her since. "Um… thanks."

"Any time," he replied quietly, watching as she bent down to wipe up the liquid mess. "Do you need me to do anything?"

Bella looked up at him, her chocolate hair falling over her shoulders with her movement. "No, but thank you."

Edward nodded and she returned to her task. It only took a minute for her to clean up the water before she stood to dispose of the dirtied towels. But as she stood, she noticed that she was alone. Anxious, she looked toward the front door as the bell chimed loudly throughout the store.

Edward was walking briskly across the street.

Cursing beneath her breath, Bella raced toward the door, not bothering to say a word to Claire as she did so.

"Edward!" she called out, just as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

He stopped in front of the bookstore across the way and turned back to her.

Nervousness didn't even begin to describe how she felt in that moment. This could potentially change everything in her life that she had worked so hard to maintain. She could either walk away right now or chance working with a man she knew she was already attracted to. But her feet didn't move and insisted on rooting her to her spot.

"Library at eight. Will you meet me there?"

The grin she had become used to suddenly appeared. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."


	6. Ch 5: Shiver

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait in an update! If you read my other fic, "Secret Prophecies," then you know that I've been busy with moving and starting a new job, blah, blah... Anyway, the point is, I'm updating now. Thank you so much for all the kind reviews! I'm glad you all seem to be really interested in this story and I hope you enjoy this update! Thanks especially to my beta, **twi-ction**, because I couldn't do this without her.

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**Chapter Five: Shiver**

_The sky was dark, almost black, as she ran. Shadowy silhouettes of trees sped past her in a blur. She looked up, but the stars' light could barely penetrate through the midnight canopy of leaves. Her breath was erratic. Her pulse was sharp, pounding in her head._

"_Jacob, run!" _

_She turned to look over her shoulder. Jacob was only a few steps behind her. _

"_Isabella, go! Keep going. Thou shant worry about me, I am right here." _

_Fear settled deep within her heart as whispers floated through the air. There was an unseen evil here and she felt its presence burrow within every fiber of her being. A loud cackling, shriek echoed close by and Isabella felt an icy cold chill coat her skin as sweat broke out over her forehead. _

"_Is thou stillest behind thee?" she questioned the darkness, terrified to turn around. _

_A warm hand enveloped hers as Jacob finally caught up to her pace. "I am here, Izzy," he murmured close, his voice quivering. _

"_We will not make it. _I_ will not make it," she sobbed as another screech sang through the forest. _

_She felt the tightened squeeze of his fingers around hers. "Yes, thou wilt. I promise." _

_A dull thud sounded behind them and Jacob cursed at her side. "The bullets fell." _

"_What?" Isabella questioned, frantic as he let go of her hand. _

"_The sack that held them fell. I have to go back there." _

"_No!" she cried, grabbing his arm to pull him in her direction. "Jacob, thou canst! Please!" _

"_We shant be unarmed!" he shouted, pulling away from her. "I will not leave them there. Go! Isabella, go!" _

_He grabbed her then, kissing her hard. "Run and do not look back. I will find you." _

_Tears streaming down her face, Isabella ran as she was told. She ran until a strangled cry stung her ears and pierced her heart. Skidding to a halt, her blood running cold, she slowly turned around. _

_There was nothing. No one. The vast emptiness of the ominous woods stood before her as a slight breeze swept stray leaves through the air in lazy circles. _

_All had become eerily silent. _

_Her breath came in short, quiet hitches as her chin trembled and fresh tears pooled in her eyes. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Jacob?" _

"There you are."

Startled, Bella looked up from her book just as Edward walked up to her table. They were the only ones on that floor in the library, save one worker who shuffled around a cart of books down the many, long aisles.

Edward slid into the seat opposite her, a smile on his face. Within minutes, the cheery disposition he carried had vanished. "What's wrong?"

"What?" Bella questioned, staring at him in confusion.

"You're crying."

Sure enough, salty liquid dripped off of her chin, pooling onto the wooden surface of the table. Raising a hand to touch her cheek, she felt the dampness of her tears. "Oh," she murmured, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realize… my allergies have been really bad and my eyes have been watering like crazy and…" She kept talking, rambling about nothing and everything. Her excuse made no sense and she began to wish she hadn't made the agreement to meet with him tonight.

"Bella," Edward murmured, reaching out to gently touch her arm.

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. The icy touch of his hand had silenced her words for the time being, and so she helplessly watched him… waiting.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

Swallowing heavily, Bella carefully pulled away from his touch. "Yes," she whispered. "I'm fine."

He watched her warily, his eyes full of concern. Then slowly, regretfully, he retrieved his arm. "The test really shouldn't be too difficult," he said, changing the subject. "Professor White will probably ask about the Antigua plantation, maybe we should – "

"Do you want to leave?" Bella asked suddenly.

Baffled, his amber eyes wide, Edward asked, "I'm sorry?"

She had read the book more times than she could count. Regardless of whether or not Edward had, she didn't feel like sitting up here any longer. However, she did truly want to spend time with him and get to know him better. Her stomach grumbled in protest and that made the final decision for her. "I've read this book thousands of times, and I know you missed the last semester, so here are copies of my notes on the book," she said, handing him a small stack of papers, paper-clipped together. "I know you wanted to meet me here to study, but I've just got a lot on my mind and I don't really think I'd make a great study partner right now." She said the last part quietly as she nervously picked at her sweater.

Edward picked up the papers she gave him and perused them quickly. "Thank you," he said. "It may come as a surprise to you, but I have also read this book many times."

Curiosity got the better of her as she stopped her nervous hands from plucking at the worn cotton material and looked up. "So then, why did you ask me to study with you?"

A warm smile tilted his lips upward. "How else was I going to get to know you?"

The heat that spread across her cheeks was no doubt visible in a bright shade of red. Bella ducked her head, letting the strands of her hair create brown walls on either side of her face. Her stomach grumbled loudly once more, causing Edward to chuckle.

"Come on, I know of a good pizzeria down the street. I'll take you there."

She nodded, grateful that he did not seem upset about ending their study date so soon and began to pack her bag. Quickly, she tugged on her jacket and hat before gathering up her things to follow him out of the library.

"Have you been to Italiano's?" he asked her as they walked down the cold, marble steps to the first floor.

She bit her bottom lip in thought, hugging her arms across her chest tightly. "Yeah, I've been there once. Angela took me there after work one night."

"Who's Angela?"

As soon as they hit the bottom floor, Bella could feel the icy cold wind seeping through the ancient walls. She shivered despite herself. "Angela's my suitemate. She's been sick lately though, otherwise, you would have met her at the store today."

Edward nodded in understanding and pushed open the large wooden door to the outside.

Snow instantly swirled around them, and on instinct Bella buried herself into Edward's side, hoping that he could block some of the frozen wind.

He stilled for a moment, cautiously looking down at her as she helplessly shuddered in the cold.

"I'm…I'm sorry," she breathed. "It's j-just so _cold_ out here."

Gently, Edward placed an arm around her. Bella's face was flushed a rosy pink, but he doubted it was from the cold or from embarrassment. Without thinking, he pressed the back of his hand to Bella's forehead, pushing up the brim of her snow hat. "Bella, you're really warm. You might be running a fever. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she muttered, her teeth chattering quickly. "Let's go to the pizzeria, please?"

He didn't answer her, but merely tucked her more closely into his side as he directed her to the small restaurant. "I should be driving you there, but my car is parked on the other side of campus. It'd take longer to get there than to the pizzeria."

"S'okay," Bella mumbled, her gloved hands gripping his jacket tightly. Normally, she would have never behaved this way. She told herself she wasn't going to get involved with him. She _couldn't_ get involved with him. But he was probably right about the fever. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck, but her stomach protested too much to wait any longer for food. And she didn't exactly want to go back to her dorm room just yet. There was a strange tug, or connection, that she felt to Edward. Bella didn't have many friends and she tried to not make more than necessary given her situation, but when it came to Edward, it was impossible to not want to _be_ with him. Maybe it was the fever talking, but she wanted to give whatever their relationship would be a try.

There was a short line to get into Italiano's Pizzeria when they arrived. Bella was shivering so badly against Edward's side, that he almost pushed his way through the crowd just to get her inside. Instead, he rubbed his hands vigorously up and down her arms as they waited. The light above them began to flicker on and off and Bella peeked up at it from the confines of Edward's arms. A small spark shot off into the air, causing the light to vanish with a loud 'pop.' Some of the people in line gasped at the sound.

"That was odd," Edward said, watching the tiny, glowing embers float to the cement ground.

Bella said nothing and allowed him to pull her inside as the line began to move. The heat within the restaurant enveloped her immediately, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she extricated herself from Edward's body. "That's much better," she breathed.

"Here," Edward said, gesturing to small wooden booth which shone from too much lacquer. "Sit there. I'll get the food to-go. You really need to get back and get some rest, Bella. I don't know why I brought you here. I should have taken you back to your dorm and had the food delivered."

"Edward, it's fine." She was feeling a little bit better and gave him a reassuring smile as she sat down. Breathing in deeply, she watched Edward walk up to the front counter to grab a take-out menu and easily maneuver through the crowd to find his way back to her.

"What do you want?" he asked, kneeling before her. "They have more than just pizza here."

Bella shrugged. "What are you getting?"

A sheepish grin spread across Edward's face. "I actually ate before I came to see you, so I'm not that hungry. But I'll get you whatever you want."

"_What?_" Bella hissed. "Edward, I feel terrible that you walked me all the way over here and you're not even getting anything."

"I know, I know. You weren't feeling well and I should have just taken you back to your dorm, but I wanted to spend time with you and – "

"That's not what I mean," Bella chuckled, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I just wish that you were getting something too. That way we could eat together and talk… wherever that may be."

A sad smile drifted across Edward's face and for a moment, Bella wondered what she had said to make him seem so defeated.

"Maybe next time," he murmured. "Anyway, it's on me. So pick whatever you want."

"No. You're not paying for it, Edward."

"Humor me, please. It's the least I can do for a feverish girl, stuck out in the cold with an annoying, undecided prat of a student like me," he teased, opening up the menu before her eyes. "Now, what would you like?"

A snort of amusement escaped her as she lazily skimmed over the menu. "I don't know; I like all Italian food. How about the _prat_ surprises me?"

A devious grin spread across Edward's lips. "Done."

Moments later, Edward had Bella tucked back into his side as they walked to her dorm. A hot container of spaghetti with meatballs, wrapped inside a paper bag, was now in Bella's hands. It wasn't an original dish but it was definitely one of her favorites. The heat from the food radiated through her thin gloves, making the winter chill a little less harsh.

They were silent on their way back and neither said a word to each other until they were standing outside Bella's room. She quickly took off her hat, and began fussing with her hair as static made the tendrils cling together.

"Would you like to come in?" she said with a sniff, her nose and cheeks far too red.

Edward grinned and reached up to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, but I should be getting back."

"Sorry," she sighed, looking down to the ground. "You wanted to get to know me better and I completely ruined everything."

He frowned, his brows knitting together as he watched her stand so timid before him. "You didn't ruin _anything_, Bella. If you're feeling better tomorrow, why don't we meet up again?"

A light of hope danced in her eyes as she looked back up at him. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks for everything, Edward. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime."

He held her food for her as she opened her door and made sure that she would be okay when he left.

Exhausted, Bella wasted no time in heating up the small room. With a flick of her wrist, every candle burst into flame and the old heater released more waves of heat than it was probably capable of. She quickly changed into a sweater and black sweat pants before scurrying into her bed with the still warm plate of Italian food that Edward bought her. Each bite was rich and delicious and heated the flesh of her throat wonderfully.

The fever she was experiencing before seemed to be gone and she hoped beyond anything that she wasn't catching what Angela had. Bella almost never got sick, but when she did, strange things would happen – like the light outside of Italiano's blowing out. Her emotions were never under control when she was sick and therefore, she couldn't harness her powers as well as she would like. The fact that she had been reliving such a powerful memory moments before Edward found her did not help the situation. It left her vulnerable and more susceptible to the cold, biting wind outside. Perhaps because she was already emotionally drained, she physically felt it as well? In any case, she vowed to not think about the past for as long as she could help it. But anytime Edward was near, the past was there, creeping back up on her. It was hard to explain, but she felt as if she knew Edward somehow… though that seemed utterly ridiculous all the same. Still, there was something about him.

With her stomach full and her body temperature elevated, Bella snuggled down into her comforter for sleep to finally consume her. Unfortunately, her vow to not relive the past didn't hold true in her dreams. Nightmares made her toss and turn throughout the evening. Though she had someone to take care of her earlier that day, there would be no one there who could comfort her when she finally woke up.

That was her curse. Bella Swan was alone, and always would be.


	7. Ch 6: Ramen Mysteries

**A/N: **Thanks for all of your reviews! And another big thanks to the mad betaing skills of **twi-ction**. Btw, I wrote the second half of this update while eating Ramen (hence the title). Any general fuckery in this is being blamed on the damn noodles.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Ramen Mysteries **

The tears that leaked from her eyes while she slept had hardened and created a thick crust, which clumped her lashes tightly together. She tiredly rubbed away the evidence of her despair, yet the slightest movement sparked a dull throb to produce in either temple. Quietly, she lay there, peering out through the tiny slits of her half-opened eyes.

"_One day it shall be better, Izzy. I promise thee."_

Words have meaning, no matter how small they may seem. These were the most important and meaningful words Jacob had said to her before he died.

The winter chill breathed a frost that crystallized its way into spirals and swirls outside her window. She shut her eyes, curling down into the comforter of her bed. Her old, withered heater had returned to normal while her mind tried to seek solace in the night. "I wish you had been right, Jake…" she whispered to herself. Bella sniffed, shifting her hands to curl beneath her chest and the heater magically came back to life.

Across the way, she could make out the creaks of the wooden floorboards as her suitemates began to wake up. Judging by the vivacity of the voice that floated into the air, Jessica was regaling Angela with her date last night. Though Bella was sure the story was interesting, the high-pitched noise did nothing for her pounding head. She groaned silently and pushed a hand out into the air toward her bathroom door. It was as if an invisible barrier sealed off the crevices in the doorframe that allowed the slightest sound to seep through, and all was pleasant again.

The howl of the icy wind eventually lulled her back to sleep. About an hour later, she awoke to a loud shrilling sound coming near her head. Disoriented, Bella looked up to the windowsill where her phone sat. She blindly reached up to get it, nearly dropping it from the handle before she could hold it up to her ear.

"Hullo…" she groaned drunkenly.

"I woke you."

Her heart skipped a beat and butterflies flew rapidly within her stomach. It was Edward.

Bella tried to push herself up, but her limbs were weighed down and she felt some kind of pressure pushing against her bones. "It's okay, Edward. How'd you get my number?"

"School directory," he replied, as if it were the most obvious answer. There was a brief moment of silence before he said, "You don't sound right. Is everything okay?"

She swallowed and her throat burned like fire. "Ow."

"What?"

"Sorry."

"Bella, what's wrong? Are you still sick from last night? I knew I should have just taken you back to your dorm first."

"Oh shut up, Edward," she moaned, covering her eyes with her hand as she rolled onto her back. "I think I've got what Angela had, only ten times worse. Besides, I didn't want you to take me back so soon. Maybe _I_ also wanted to spend time with you." Did she really just say that out loud?

Edward sounded as if he was about to reply, but a loud knock from the other side of her bathroom door distracted her. "Dammit," she hissed, realizing in her weakened state that her silencing charm had worn off.

"Bella, do you have any extra toilet paper in there?" Jessica yelled.

Another softer voice mixed into the air. "Shhh! Jessica, she could be sleeping," Angela warned.

Though that didn't seem to halt Jessica's motives. How could she blame her though? When you needed toilet paper… well, that's what you needed. It wasn't like there were any tissues in there. Maybe she should think about putting a box in, just in case… Why was she thinking about this?

"Yeah," Bella called out, her voice sounding scratchy and broken. "Come in."

Jessica rushed in and Bella motioned to her closet. "It's in there."

"You look like shit, Bella. Out late last night?" Jessica rambled, quickly shuffling over to the closet to pull down the white cotton rolls. "Oh! You're on the phone. Sorry…"

Bella simply nodded, hoping that the smile on her face wasn't too fake as Jessica left her room.

"Who was that?" Edward asked.

"Angela's roommate."

"She sounds lovely," he droned.

That brought a true smile to Bella's lips and she sighed softly. "Why'd you call?"

"We were going to meet today, remember? But since you're sick…"

Ugh. She rubbed a hand tiredly over her face, wondering how she could have forgotten about all of this. "I'm sorry, Edward. I really wanted to see you today too. Can we reschedule?"

"Absolutely. Just… take it easy and if you need anything, let me know."

She smiled, her eyes closed as her body began to relax. "Thanks, Edward." After saying their goodbyes, Bella forced herself out of bed. With a wave of her hand, her T.V. turned to life and the local news broadcaster could be heard within her small room. She half listened as she busied herself with the task of making coffee, breathing in the rich, spicy aroma of the coffee grounds.

"_A hiker was found dead in the forests outside of Forks, Washington today. Police are still investigating whether this could be connected with the previous deaths of the two campers on Friday_."

Bella stilled her movements, her eyes and ears becoming acutely aware of the unfolding story on the small screen.

"_The identity of the hiker is unknown, however, the Chief of Police intends to make a public statement about the attack later this afternoon. This is Elizabeth Marks for NBC Channel 14 News_."

The pad of her finger pushed against the power button on the T.V., effectively shutting it off. Bella finished getting the coffee ready and merely waited for the machine to do the rest.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she stared at the floor as her thoughts and memories became a muddled mess within her brain. These things had happened close to her before. No matter where she was, there was always some kind of killing or missing person whose case was never solved. It made her think back to a time long ago…

Determined, yet slightly stumbling across the floor, Bella moved to her dresser and pulled open the bottom drawer. She rifled through a few old t-shirts before coming across several leather-bound journals. There were five that she pulled out, being her most recent. The rest were kept in boxes that she stored in her closet. Ever since the night of Jacob's death, she had kept a diary of all the events or attacks that she could remember happening near her. Maybe by re-studying them, she could come up with a better answer as to why they were happening. But she already knew who was following her. She knew from the stories Jacob had told her, what had killed him and inevitably kept trying to kill her. The question was why hadn't they come to her sooner? Why did she always escape? Vampires seem to be beings that don't lose to their prey so easily. So why had she been bite-free for several hundred years? None of it made any sense to her, and it wasn't as if there was anyone she could talk to about this.

She remembered asking Carlisle about it when he found her in the woods all those years ago.

"_Isabella? Ms. Swan, can thou hearest me?" _

_Dazed, her nerves still tingling with fear, Isabella looked up to where Dr. Cullen now leaned over her in the darkness of the forest. "Wh-What happened?" she croaked. Her voice was different; it didn't sound her own. _

_Breathing in deeply, his nostrils flaring, he said, "Thou twas being chased. Doest thou remember the attacker?" _

_The bloodcurdling scream that pushed past Jacob's lips echoed in her mind and she visibly shuddered. "No." _

_Nodding, he carefully slid his arms beneath her and scooped her up, cradling her against his chest. _

"_Twas vampires. Was it not, Carlisle?" she whimpered. _

_The term made has entire body stiffen but he continued to walk them through the woods with ease. "Aye, but they are gone now." _

_Isabella shut her eyes tightly. "I thought it was a trick. I thought they were mere rumors." _

"_Thou needest rest," he stated firmly, yet quietly. "I shall take you back home now, Izzy." _

_Her eyes felt heavy and she let her grief and exhaustion take over, but not before whispering, "Do not call me, Izzy." _

He never did give her much information after that. She remembered waking up in her room to a maid patting her forehead with a damp cloth. Dr. Cullen hardly ever stayed near her to give them the chance to talk.

Perhaps she would go to Forks soon. Maybe she could do some investigating on her own. Though she didn't think she could come to terms with her past again. These _incidents_ weren't merely by coincidence. She knew that since they had started. What happened in the past was happening again, as if someone was still chasing her… haunting her.

Maybe it was time that she let them catch up to her. Maybe it was time for her to face her fears.

The coffee maker beeped loudly as the boiling liquid spurted and hissed from the glass pot, startling her.

She looked over to the small stack of blue books that sat on her desk. Her test was next Friday, yet Edward had wanted to study with her last night. How did she not know that it was really his way of trying to hang out with her? Because honestly, who studied for a test a week before hand? "Maybe Angela," she muttered softly, answering her own question.

Her head hurt, her throat stung, and it was entirely too cold outside. She sighed heavily and deposited the journals before collapsing back on her bed. Today was going to be a long, horribly boring day.

* * *

If there is a staple found in every college student's dorm room, it's Ramen Noodles.

It was five o'clock and Bella, along with her suitemates, sat in her room eating soup and watching_ Robin Hood_.

"Disney marathons are so much fun," Angela commented around a mouthful of noodles. "For some reason, when it snows like this, I always want to stay in and watch Disney movies and drink lots of hot chocolate."

Bella nodded in agreement as she sat on her bed. Angela was still getting over her flu… cold… whatever it was, and Jessica hadn't caught anything as of yet, so it seemed safe to have her over too. They both claimed different chairs in Bella's room, focusing their attention intently on the animated fox and bear singing on the screen.

"You know, I could have been a great _Maid Marion_," Jessica said suddenly. "I wear pink very well."

Bella snorted into her soup bowl.

"Like that was all she did," Angela mocked. "She took care of the poor and she loved playing with the children…"

"I could do that too!"

"So is Mike _Robin Hood_ then?" Bella asked, a grin already spreading across her face in anticipation of Jessica's answer.

Jessica scrunched up her nose in disgust. "God, no. He can't even throw a football, much less shoot a bow and arrow."

"That's a shame," Bella sighed. "I bet he would have looked awesome in tights."

Jessica made a little "o" with her mouth while Angela laughed hysterically, nearly choking on her food.

So, today wasn't as boring as Bella had thought it would be. Actually, it was pretty amusing, but that still didn't mean that she didn't feel terrible. Any quick movement, and her head began to spin. She only wished she could have spent most of her day with Edward instead.

* * *

The blaring repeated tone of her alarm clock woke Bella up in the early hours of the morning. A small streak of sunshine peeked through the slit between her blinds and the wall, shining right over her closed eyes. Grimacing, Bella smacked at her alarm repeatedly, until it eventually just fell onto the floor.

Stupid alarm.

She closed her eyes tightly and focused on the resounding siren that came from the small contraption. The clock began to vibrate and slowly lifted off of the floor, floating up into the air and back to its place on the windowsill. This time, when Bella hit the alarm, it actually turned off.

Her head hurt worse than the day before and trying to muster the strength to do anything with her powers was much more difficult than she had anticipated.

Gradually, the clouds outside drifted over the sun, squelching the last bit of sparkling light in the morning. Draping her arm over her eyes, Bella sighed and kicked off the covers, suddenly feeling too hot. The idea of going to class created a wave of nausea that flowed from her head to her stomach. Mentally, she ticked off the classes she had that day. There was Intro. to Mythology (which she loved but would be able to easily miss), her Jane Austen class in which today was "review day," and her first class for the morning, Anatomy of Fish.

Skipping seemed the most appropriate solution.

After using the restroom and telling Angela that she wouldn't be able to go to work tonight, Bella collapsed on top of her covers. With one simple wave of her hand, the natural light in the room seemed to filter away, until all was blissfully covered in darkness.

Hours later, a soft knock came from the other side of her door. She heard the quiet rumblings in her sleep but it was not enough to spark the neurons in her brain. The knock grew a little larder the second time and she mentally told herself that this wasn't a dream – someone _was_ knocking on her door. Still, her brain wasn't functioning clearly in her sleep-induced haze.

The third time was loud and clear and she cursed quietly, which had something to do with "ass" and "monkey." Neither of which, when put together, made any sense.

With the room still dark, Bella waved her hand so that more light filtered through from the outside. If she was going to attempt to open the door, she was not going to trip.

Her hair was askew as she still rubbed away the sleep from her eyes. The insides of her mouth and throat were stale and tasted terribly of morning breath, but as she looked at the clock on her way to the door, she realized that it was three o'clock in the afternoon. Terrific.

The light from the hallway nearly blinded her as she opened the door. Bella held up her hand and squinted at the person standing before her. She could almost make out waves of bronze colored hair.

"About time you got up," Edward said.

She was too annoyed and sick to really respond to him, so she turned around, leaving the door open as an invitation for him to follow her.

As soon as the door closed, she let her body drop onto the bed once more.

Edward walked quietly into the room and Bella had to stifle her laughter at his awkward stance. He kept looking at everything curiously, almost as if he wanted to investigate the contents in her room, but trying unsuccessfully to show it.

"You can sit if you want," she croaked, grimacing at how scratchy her voice sounded before shutting her eyes against the pain.

"How long have you been sleeping?"

"Since my alarm went off at six."

She didn't hear anything for a while and almost thought that he had left, until the palm of his hand rested against her forehead.

"Hands!" she shrieked, nearly falling off of the bed.

Edward grabbed her immediately, his hands holding tightly to her waist. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that you have unnaturally cold hands right now! That's what's wrong."

Bella, now wide away, watched as Edward's face fell. He looked away from her before carefully moving her safely back on the bed. "Sorry."

His fingers came up to run through the messy locks of his hair in frustration and for some reason, the action alone made a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. Or maybe that was because she hadn't eaten all day…

"It's fine, Edward. Really," she said with a small smile. "Why are you here anyway?"

"You weren't in class. I brought you the notes from the review session," he answered, pulling out a small collection of papers from his bag.

"Oh. Thank you, Edward."

He smiled and placed the notes on her desk. "Sure."

A few moments of awkward silence passed between them. "Listen, not that I don't want you here but I don't want you catching any of this," Bella said, already regretting the words.

"I rarely get sick," he grinned.

"Yeah, that's what I used to say."

"I promise you, it never happens to me."

Bella pushed herself up against her pillows to look at him more comfortably. "Must be nice."

The grin on his face instantly fell and he looked anywhere but at her. Bella frowned, wondering why she caused him to look like that twice since they'd met.

"So, I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet," he commented, his amber eyes curious.

"Your guess would be correct."

He shook his head in a mock reprimanding sort of way. "That's not a good thing, you know. Do you want me to get you something?"

Rolling her eyes, Bella pointed to her cabinet by the refrigerator. "Food's in there."

Edward walked over to the tall, sand-colored cabinet and pulled open its doors. Shock immediately took over his body. "Bella, there's at least ten Ramen packages in here."

"So?" she shrugged.

He reached in, pulling out a pink package. "Shrimp flavored noodles? That is _not_ normal."

"Yes, it is," she whined, defensively. Okay, so maybe it wasn't, but so what? He didn't have the right to come in here and start critiquing her food choices.

"If you're going to eat shrimp, you might as well eat the real thing."

Well, he had a point there.

"It's all I have. That and Cheerios."

"A far healthier choice than this," Edward said, tossing the package back into the cabinet.

Blowing a piece of hair out of her face, Bella crossed her arms and watched him in amusement.

"Do you like Chinese?" he asked. "I'll get you some soup."

"Would you stop buying me food?" she asked, exasperated.

"I just want to help." The sincerity in his voice made her heartbeat stutter and she wondered if "getting to know him" was really such a good idea.

"I know you do, and I do _appreciate_ it. But I'd prefer the Ramen, thanks."

Grimacing, Edward turned back to the various packages of dehydrated noodles. "This is not suitable."

Irritation kicked in, causing Bella to huff loudly. "It's suitable enough."

"It's not healthy, Bella."

"Edward."

"Are you sure it's even _real_?"

"Edward."

"What?"

"Make me the damn Ramen."

"Bossy little one, aren't you?" he replied with a wink.

The blood rushed to her cheeks and she closed her eyes tightly because it was too late to hide her face now. She heard him chuckle and a few minutes later, the rush of water from the bathroom sink as he filled a bowl.

"You better be glad that my suitemates aren't in," she muttered.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind," he said, all too smug as he walked over to the microwave and hit a few buttons to turn it on. "You know you can open your eyes."

She did, but tried her best to glare at him in the process, which probably only made her look constipated. "You know you're far too demanding to someone you don't even know that well."

A serious expression washed over Edward's face and in an instant, he had grabbed her desk chair and turned it so that it faced her before sitting down. "So, tell me about yourself," he countered.

"What?" Shit. What was her cover story? Oh, that's right… she didn't have one. "Um… what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with where you're from."

Taking in a deep breath, Bella pulled the covers closer to her chin, as if somehow the gesture would protect her in case she failed at this miserably, which she most certainly would. "Massachusetts."

"Where about?"

"Salem, actually."

He gave her an appraising look and nodded. "Have you lived there all your life?"

She shrugged, "Mostly."

"I've been there a couple of times. It has a kind of mystery about it that I like."

Nodding, she looked away and began to nervously fidget with the strands of her tangled hair.

"Any siblings?" he asked.

"None."

"Parents?"

"Died."

A frown curved the corners of Edward's lips and he looked down, suddenly nervous. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Bella said, sighing because it had been so long since she'd actually thought about her parents. "It was a while ago, when I was really little. I honestly don't remember them that much."

"So, who did you end up staying with then?"

"An aunt and uncle. Now that I'm over eighteen, I'm on my own." Okay, so the aunt and uncle thing was complete bullshit, but he didn't have to know that.

"What about you?" she asked.

He grinned crookedly at her and her heart did a funny little splutter. _Crap_. "Oh no, I'm not done asking you questions."

"Well, fire away then."

A warm chuckle escaped Edward's lips. "All right, what's your favorite color?"

"Seriously?"

"Well, I'd ask you your favorite food, but judging by what you eat, I probably don't want to know."

She really felt like flipping him the bird, but chose against it. Not to mention, her head was beginning to kill her again and all she really wanted to do was sleep. "By any chance, can the Spanish Inquisition wait until tomorrow?"

Edward looked thoughtful about her request and his eyes slid over to a small stack of leather-bound journals on her desk. "That seems fair. Maybe I'll just read these and save you the trouble of telling me?"

Alarmed, Bella watched as Edward picked up the first journal. "No!" she yelled, launching herself at him. Instead, her legs got caught up in the blankets and she ended up falling to the floor on her side, bruising her shoulder. "Ow."

"Jesus, Bella," Edward hissed, instantly at her side. His arms slid against her back and he easily lifted her up. "What were you thinking?"

"Those journals are private property," she muttered, trying hard to _not_ think about his hands on her. "I would have beaten you over the head with a book if I thought I could have done it. Lunging at you seemed easier."

Edward snorted, bemused. "Clearly, you and gravity don't get along well."

"Clearly."

"I wasn't actually going to read them, you know," he said, laying her back down on the bed.

"Oh. Well, how was I supposed to know that?"

Shaking his head, Edward pulled the covers back over her. "You're a very stubborn woman."

"I could say the same for you and much more," she grumbled.

He did nothing but smile as he walked over to the microwave, which had chimed loudly. Reluctantly, he picked up the silver package that held the seasonings for the noodles.

Bella watched with utter satisfaction over his discomfort around her food. Serves him right.

"This is so wrong," he complained.

"Oh, just do it."


	8. Ch 7: Tuesday

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Thanks for the great reviews last time. This update adds in a little more suspense, so I hope you all enjoy it! And like always, a big thanks to my beta, **twi-ction**.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Tuesday**

It was Tuesday. The cold chilling morning breeze kissed her window and her eyes fluttered open. Small, warm fingers were curled by her cheek and her eyelashes lightly brushed against her skin.

Today was Tuesday. It was the second day in the week. And with a deep breath of fresh air, filling her lungs whole and refreshing, she believed that today was a new day. Though her throat still hummed with discomfort and her head still throbbed with a dull ache, she felt better than she had in the past couple of days.

Last night brought a smile to her coral-colored lips. Edward had stayed with her, rambling on about everything while she ate. He told her that he grew up in Chicago, but that his parents had died by some illness they contracted when they went on a cruise overseas. After that, he went into the system where a gracious, loving family adopted him. He told her of his siblings, all of whom were also adopted, and how he missed every single one of them. She felt sorrow at the emptiness in his eyes when he spoke of his parents. She laughed when he told her that his older brother made fun of his interest in anthropology. "Why study humans?" he had said. "They're very bizarre." "And isn't he a human?" she had asked him. And Edward only smiled and said nothing more on the subject.

When her eyes grew heavy and her vision began to blur, she remembered Edward taking her bowl away from her lazy hands and pulling up the sheets around her shoulders. "Sleep, Bella," he had whispered in her ear. She could smell him around her then, a scent that was full of spice and the promise of the sun. Though his skin was frigid, his essence brought warmth to her – a kind of warmth she hadn't felt in so very long. "Go to sleep," he had whispered to her again. And as she felt the darkness of her dreams take over, she could have sworn she heard his musical voice murmur, "You are beautiful."

She closed her eyes and sighed, her smile widening in the early hours of the cloudy sky. When she opened them, little flames from her candles danced around the room. Resolutely, she got up and waved her hand in the air, starting the coffee pot that spit and gurgled to life. She felt raw. She felt alive. She felt… fear.

Never had she felt so strongly for someone since Jacob was murdered. That feeling, alone, frightened her. She was connected to Edward now. Pushing him to the sidelines was no longer an option. When he was with her, she felt life pulse within her veins. He made each passing minute of her life that much more tolerable. Time was still there, still telling her that she would have all the days in the world, but for once, maybe she didn't have to be alone. Though what would he say if he were to ever find out who and what she was? Would he believe her? Probably not. People came and went in her life. Angela and Jessica would move on after they graduated and Bella knew that she would never see them again. But in that passing moment, it was nice to have friends, to feel like she wasn't entirely on her own.

Edward just merely passing in and out of her existence, however, was not acceptable to her. Bella found that she didn't want him to stay away from her. That when she graduated, she wanted to still keep in touch with him. And there would come a time when she would need to explain the truth, but for now that could wait. Maybe things didn't make quite as much sense to her as she would have liked, but it would have to do for now.

She stood in the middle of her small, rectangular shaped room, the floorboards cold beneath her feet. A frown tugged at the corners of her lips and she wondered if she would be able to handle the sense of rejection she would feel when he realized that she was unnatural – a freak. The term, "immortality," was something thrown about in fairy tales and legends. It was mythical and mystical, but it was not _real_, at least not to those around her.

When the coffee machine beeped loudly, a siren that broke her thoughts, she chose to ignore it. Her feet carried her to the bathroom where the tiled floor was even more frozen than in her room. She turned the hot water on from the shower and watched as steaming rain poured to the white tub below. Her clothes were stripped off and she stepped under the soothing liquid beads, pulling the shower curtain close behind her.

Thoughts and memories flooded her mind. She felt the loss of Jacob. Her chest clenched over the death of Alice. She remembered the death of her father clearly, because in fact, he didn't die when she was very young like she told Edward. He died before Alice's hanging. The 'failing of the heart' is what they had called it then. And she remembered clutching his hand within her own and feeling the hot tears pour down her face as the last breath left his lips when his lungs collapsed. She remembered feeling the loneliness when wanting to speak to her mother and never getting the chance to, for she died during childbirth. Alice was a sister, mother, and friend to her all at once. She met her when she had turned sixteen and they were close from the very start. The one thing she remembered the most about her dear friend, apart from her vivacious joy for life, was the color of her eyes. They were rich like honey and flecks of gold shown throughout the irises, gleaming with knowledge and things to come. It was those eyes that reminded her of Edward. And again, the uncertainty of being with him threatened to tear her apart. Bella had lived through many losses in her life. Could she live through his too?

Steam floated in the air around her, soaking her skin and filling her sinuses with heat. She closed her eyes as she stood beneath the raining water that cleansed her body, and she wept.

* * *

Today was Tuesday. It was the day in the week where Bella only had one class. Histology was something she could not miss, so she bundled up in her winter coat, gloves and hat, and trudged through the crystalline white snow. It crunched beneath her boots as the stinging wind prickled the skin on her face. Her nose was the color of the dahlia flowers in the classroom, their petals a rich crimson. Puddles of clear liquid dotted the linoleum floor as she made her way to the lab table in the back. She deposited her winter coverings and pulled out a notebook and pen as she sat down on the high stool.

More students began to filter in, taking their seats and her professor pulled up his PowerPoint lecture from the sleek silver laptop at his desk. As the large hand of the clock struck the number twelve, he began dispersing knowledge about the formation of cells and how they create many forms of life. He gave them slides to look at under their microscopes and Bella wrote down the identification of each. While she worked, she wondered if the cells in her body were normal. Could she possibly be a specimen that students would study under their microscopes? Did her body's miniscule cells multiply like they should? Or were they mutated and tainted from the curse that had been bestowed upon her so many years ago?

_Carlisle was sitting in her father's study, pouring over countless books by candlelight. When she entered the room, he said, "How doest thou feel?" Though he never looked up to her, she knew that he had sensed her presence. _

"_Better," she muttered, though her skin still felt clammy with fear. Her stomach was twisted in knots and the haunting cry that escaped Jacob's lips still permeated her mind. _

_Carlisle turned to her; flimsy framed spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. "Thou needest not lie, Isabella." He sighed heavily, a sad smile gracing his poised face. He spoke to her without pretense or formality. "The sick pallor of your skin and the sheen of sweat that coats your forehead tells me otherwise. I know how you feel, though you may choose to not believe me."_

_Isabella swallowed and glanced around the room, trying her best to keep another wave of tears at bay. "What is thou doing?" _

"_Research." _

_The golden waves of his hair shone in the dull lighting of the room. She watched him through tired eyes, her hand resting on the frame of the doorway. "Carlisle," she whispered. "What is happening?" _

_The tiny fragility that was her voice spoke volumes to him. It made his chest constrict and sorrow fill his heart. "Unspeakable things, dear one," he disclosed, his quiet, almost inaudible, voice reaching her ears. _

_Finally, he stood from the worn, wooden desk to come stand before her. The goldenrod flecks of his irises sparked in the darkness. "We need to talk."_

"_About what?" she asked, wary of the intonation in his voice._

_There was a brief silence, one that engulfed her from her feet up to her head and she waited, not breathing in a single breath, until he finally spoke. _

"_Alice." _

"All right, next week we'll discuss the different transformation of cancer cells. Those slides and the ones you looked at today will be included on the next exam."

Her professor's voice broke through her thoughts, and Bella shakily cleaned up her station as other students piled books into their bags, ready to leave.

As she left the science hall, she hugged her arms around her tightly, trying to fight off the chilling cold of the Washington winter. Students milled past her, some attempting to ride their bikes to class on the salt-ridden pathways. Her dorm was not far away, but as she passed the library with its menacing stone gargoyles, she heard the faintest whisper on the wind. It carried across campus, floating amongst the light snowflakes that swirled in the air, past the heads of passersby, until it reached her awaiting ears. "_Isabella_."

She froze, her blood running cold. Someone yelled, "Watch it!" behind her, but she didn't notice as the person brushed past in annoyance. She stood still on the sidewalk, her gaze searching the large, gothic building before her. As her eyes flitted along the perimeter of the library, she spotted something within the trees. A moment so quick, she barely even registered it. But as she narrowed her gaze, her heart quickening in its pace, she spotted a pair of eyes staring back at her – eyes the color of fresh blood.

Her past was suddenly brought to the forefront of her mind.

"_What about Alice?" _

_Carlisle sighed heavily, forced. His nostrils flared minutely. "Doest thou remember the tonic Alice made thee the night of her arrest?" _

_Isabella nodded uncertainly, remembering how her friend insisted that she needed the liquid for her jumbled nerves. _

"_She conjured something – a potion. It was mixed in the tonic." _

_Ice-cold shock washed over her. Carlisle was the only other being that knew of she and Alice's gifts. They only toyed in mere trivial spells and he never thought it pertinent for the townsfolk to know. When Carlisle requested a specific herb for his medicine collection, Alice and Isabella showed him their talents and he watched in awe as his request grew up from out of the soiled earth. From that point on, he knew and kept their secret safe. _

"_That is impossible," she retorted, though her voice trembled with disbelief. _

_Carlisle looked down to the dirtied floor beneath his feet, frowning. "Thou knowest that Alice was a seer?" _

_Again, only a nod came from Isabella. _

"_Whatever it was that she saw, she felt it important that thou be protected from it." _

_Eyes widened, Isabella looked up at the young, strange doctor before her. Like Alice, he also had the same tawny, alien eyes. "What exactly did I drink, Carlisle?" _

"_An elixir of protection," he answered quietly. "One that has now given thou life an unnatural length."_

_Crazed, feeling the brink of hysteria clawing its way to the surface, Isabella clutched at his arm. "Doest thou speakest of immortality?" _

_He looked at her grimly, not even wincing when her grip tightened. "Yes." _

"_That is impossible," she growled, her words hard. "There is no one who can live an immortal life." _

_A beat of silence showered over the room. Carlisle watched her calmly as sheer terror spread throughout the layers of her flesh. "Vampires live an immortal life, Isabella."_

Her feet stumbled across the sidewalk and her lungs screamed in protest at the sharp, stabbing inhales of ice-cold air as she ran. Fear latched on to the beating organ in her chest. She had heard about these eyes. She had seen them in her nightmares. Even running through the woods that fateful night with Jacob, she could have sworn she saw a pair of scarlet eyes peering out at them through the forest. So, they had found her. Finally.

Tiny bumps rose along her flesh beneath her jacket as she entered her dorm. She rushed up the stairs, her nose running and her throat dry. Her boots slipped across the slick floor as she reached the third level where her room was located. She was so preoccupied with turning behind her to see if anyone had followed her that she didn't notice someone was standing in the middle of the hallway.

She collided with something hard and strong. Two arms encircled her shaking body, holding her upright. She screamed, turning to face the unknown identity of her imprisonment when she saw the familiar face of a boy.

"Edward," she choked out. "Wha-What are you doing here?" Nervousness laced her voice as she pulled away from him; turning to look back behind her to make sure no one else had joined them.

When she finally returned her gaze to Edward, she came up short. Her breath caught in her throat. His eyes, normally a soft amber in color, were jet black. They were hollow, empty. A familiarity scratched at her from the inside as she stared at him. She knew those eyes…

"Your eyes," she whispered.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, his voice strained, his jaws clenched tight.

"Yes."

Bella watched him in alarm as she pulled the keys from her bag and began to unlock her door. As she motioned to open it, Edward grabbed her wrist, gently pulling it away and stepped in front of her, as if protecting her from something. He opened the door, stepping inside the room with a sense of warning. She slowly followed him in, her gaze trained on his back, the way his muscles were drawn tightly together beneath his shirt.

Edward's eyes searched the room and he inhaled deeply. A low growl rumbled in his chest and Bella dropped her bag to floor with a loud clamor, startled.

She watched as his fists clenched by his thighs and he spun around to leave. "I have to go," he hissed. "I'm sorry."

Confused, she reached out to him, her small hand only halfway wrapping around his forearm. "Edward, wait."

He turned on her sharply and Bella immediately let go of him, as if burned. The animosity in his face was frightening. Minutes seemed to pass between them and soon, his features softened, forming a disgusted frown on his lips.

"Hey," she whispered, coming to stand closer to him. "What's wrong?"

Edward looked down at her, his midnight gaze full of worry and guilt. "I… I was just worried about you. I'm sorry about my behavior. It was wrong of me to come – "

She shook her head and let both of her hands fall on his arms. Where was the young man she spoke with last night? Where was the one that made her smile and laugh and her heart stammer within her chest? Without thinking, she stood up on tiptoe and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes in relief. Whatever happened in the past few minutes could be explained later. Right now, she didn't want him to leave her. She was afraid of what would happen if she were left alone. The pressure of his own forehead pushing back against hers was welcoming.

"I have to go," he murmured, his lips close to hers. And then he was gone from her, opening the door to make his exit. She gasped at the sudden void that filled her chest.

"Edward," she called out, running to the door to stop him. He turned back to her, his brows drawn down. "Will you come back?"

Slowly, he reached out to her, his cold hand cupping her flushed cheek. The pain that etched its way in the lines of his face was nearly intolerable and she wanted to smooth away the distress that was clearly written all over him. His lips separated and she watched the full flesh there move as he whispered, "Yes."

Bella stood by her door, watching him leave and feeling a deep ache within her gut with each step he took away from her. When she closed the door, she let her body lean up against it, her mind running back through everything that had just happened.

Today was Tuesday. It was the day that vampires had re-entered her life.


	9. Ch 8: A Nightly Knight

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** As always, thank you for the great reviews! And welcome new readers! I hope you enjoy this next update... some would like to say that the end of this would be a little "fluffy." And of course, thank you **twi-ction** - you are wonderful.

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**Chapter Eight: A Nightly Knight**

_When she finally returned her gaze to Edward, she came up short. Her breath caught in her throat. His eyes, normally a soft amber in color, were jet black. They were hollow, empty. A familiarity scratched at her from the inside as she stared at him. She knew those eyes… _

Bella sat on her bed, her legs folded beneath her. She watched the shadows slowly drift from one corner of her room to the next, signaling the passing of time. The events from earlier that day replayed in her mind's eye. Edward had been there waiting for her. It was almost as if he knew she was in danger. His eyes haunted her from the moment he left her there, alone. She could clearly see her own reflection in the depths of his onyx gaze. She could have played it off for the lighting or the effects of hardcore drugs, but firstly, there wasn't anything off with the lighting in the hallway and secondly, she couldn't even imagine Edward doing anything related to drugs. So, that left her with no other explanation.

She also remembered being startled by the low growl that emanated from his chest. It was so feral that she knew her mind hadn't made up the strange sound. From the moment she had walked into her own room, she could tell there was something _off _about it. Her senses were in overdrive and she felt distinctly invaded upon, as if someone had been in her room without her knowledge.

A pair of crimson eyes gleamed in between the trees, staring back at her in her memories. Reaching over to grab a stuffed penguin that sat on her bed – the one that Angela gave her last year when she came back from Sea World – Bella clutched the plush animal to her chest, hugging it close.

Nervously, she waited for Edward's arrival, but it had been hours since he'd left.

_Why had he left?_ she thought. His behavior screamed out everything to do with protecting her. But why? He couldn't have known what had happened to her, could he? It made no sense.

Sighing, Bella hugged the penguin more tightly. She needed answers and she wasn't sure if and when she'd even get them.

* * *

The moon was bright, shining in through her window. Bella intended on staying awake, her earlier adrenaline still pushing her to keep her guard up, but after a while her eyelids grew heavy and she felt the need for sleep consume her.

A short time later, a quiet squeaking sound broke through the barrier of her slumber. She frowned, eyes still closed, as the high-pitched sound grew louder. Suddenly jolted awake, Bella turned to her right where the door to the adjoining bathroom was slightly cracked open. All the lights were off as they had been before.

Narrowing her gaze, her heart picking up speed, she watched the door more closely.

A minute passed. Nothing.

Another minute. Still nothing.

But then the squeak resounded in the room and she stared wide-eyed as the door began to open on its own.

She drew in a sharp breath, waiting to see who was on the other side. If it were Angela or Jessica, they would have come in without hesitation.

This was someone, or some_thing_, else.

Her fingers clutched the bedspread as her body froze in utter fear.

And then a loud knock ricocheted from her main door. She jumped, not at the sound, but that at the same exact moment, her bathroom door slammed shut.

Another knock came from the door, but Bella was too afraid to even breathe, much less move.

"Bella?" Edward called from the hallway. "Bella, it's Edward. Are you in there?"

The promise of safety was the only thing that drove her toward the door. She raced as quickly as she could on shaking legs and threw it open without pause.

Edward looked at her in alarm and then his eyes moved from her face to something behind her. The same maniacal expression that she had seen from him earlier had reappeared. But just as quickly as it came, the reaction smoothed away into a blank mask.

"How are you doing?" he asked, returning his gaze to hers.

Her skin still hummed with anxiety and her heart felt like it was up in her throat. "I feel like I'm going out of my mind."

Grinning, Edward said, "Well, that can't be good."

She didn't even smile or retort to what he had said. The expression on her face was something akin to sheer terror.

The grin on his thin lips faltered and Edward carefully stepped inside her room, shutting the door behind him. "Bella, are you okay?"

"I…" She swallowed nervously, quickly turning to the closed bathroom door. "Will you do a favor for me? It's going to sound really strange."

He nodded, waiting for her request.

"I think someone is in my suitemates' room and they tried to come in here. Both of my suitemates can sleep through anything and they never lock their door. If someone else is really in there, they won't know it. Could… uh… could you check on them, please? Just take a quick peek inside the room?"

Some guys would have probably rolled their eyes and shook their head in annoyance at such a proposal. But Edward didn't even question why she had asked him to do this. He immediately headed for the bathroom door, seemingly concentrated on something as he opened it and stepped inside.

Bella waited, her arms tightly wrapped around her chest. She listened to the stillness, to the quiet, half expecting a loud scream or the clamor of a falling object. But there was nothing but silence.

A few moments later, Edward reappeared in her room and shut the bathroom door. "They're fine," he told her. "No one else is in the room."

She sighed in relief and pushed her fingers to her temples as tears welled up in her eyes. "Maybe I am going crazy," she whimpered.

Edward was before her in an instant and she wondered how he got to her so fast. "Tell me what happened," he coaxed soothingly, lightly wiping away a stray tear that fell down her cheek.

Together they sat on her bed, Bella holding her penguin and Edward sitting as still as humanly possible while listening to her story. She told him that she thought she had seen someone she knew from her past, a not so good someone, and that's why she was so frenzied when she ran into him earlier that day. Then she explained what had happened only moments before he had knocked on her door. "Maybe it's just because I'm still feeling like crap. This flu or whatever it is that I still have may be making me delusional or something."

"Maybe, but I doubt it."

She looked at him, annoyed, and he smiled back at her.

"Why were you so on edge earlier today?" she asked him, idly picking at a loose thread from the sheets. "You seemed so upset."

His eyes were back to the calmer warmth of dusk and she thought for a brief moment that she had imagined the black eyes from before.

Edward visibly tensed but didn't shy away from her question. "Something just seemed… wrong. I came to find you, hoping to check in on you and when I stopped right outside your door, I thought I heard someone moving around in your room. When I saw you barreling down the hall, I realized that it was not you. But there was no one in the room when we came in, so I assumed that I made it all up." His words made a chill run down her spine and he sighed. "Now after hearing your story I'm not so sure it was just my imagination."

Drawing in a trembling breath, Bella shut her eyes. "Okay…" she breathed. "I have another request and I'm pretty sure you're going to say no."

He looked at her curiously, his eyes bemused as a crooked grin lifted the corners of his lips. "Go on."

Her heart hammered in her chest and she felt the butterflies in her stomach swirl in a whirlwind of emotions. "Wouldyoustaywithmetonight?" she rushed out, all in one breath.

Edward's eyes widened, but the smile was still there. "Would I what?"

She sighed, running a hand anxiously through her tangled hair. "You heard me. I won't be able to sleep now and there's no way I'm okay with staying in this room by myself." Still, he didn't respond so she shut her eyes tightly, her cheeks flaming a brilliant red as she repeated, more slowly, "Would you stay with me tonight?"

When she opened one eye, afraid to see his reaction, he was grinning like a fool at her. "Well, Bella I hate to disappoint you, but given the circumstances I'm afraid I can't say 'no.'"

Bella sighed in relief and smiled. "Thank you."

"Though, I don't have anything else to wear but what I've got on."

She appraised his dark, rustic jeans and the navy blue thin sweater with the sleeves pushed halfway up his arms. It was definitely a good look during the day, but probably not all that comfortable to sleep in.

"Well, you're in luck Edward. I have several overly sized sweatpants and shirts that I think you could wear," she grinned as she got up to peruse through her drawers.

He chuckled lightly as she tossed him a pair of black sweats and a white t-shirt that read, "I am woman, hear me roar."

"Um… I'm not so sure this shirt fits me," he said, holding it up to her.

Now it was her turn to wear the mischievous grin. "The others are dirty. That's all I've got."

Rolling his eyes, Edward stood to enter the bathroom with his newly borrowed clothes and Bella flitted back to her bed, her nerves an excited mess. She picked up her penguin, hugging it to her chest eagerly, before realizing that it would probably seem really immature for her to do that. So, she tossed the stuffed animal to the far end of her bed and mouthed an "I'm sorry" to the plush toy.

When he finally emerged, Bella bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing hysterically. Edward stood in her room, wearing the clothes that she had given him. The bright red lettering of the phrase on his chest stood out the most and he grimaced at her.

"I hope you're happy."

She nodded, feeling her shoulders shake with laughter. "Very."

Smirking, Edward made his way over to the dish chair.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, her voice only mildly tinged with alarm.

He turned to her, slightly confused. "I'm… going to sleep in the chair."

"Oh." It was all she could say as she nervously picked at her nails and looked everywhere but at him.

"Why?"

_Because I want you to sleep with me_. "Just curious," she mumbled.

He eyed her suspiciously. "Is somebody afraid of the dark?"

She stared at him, incredulous. "Yes, but that's neither here nor there."

Edward laughed loudly at her forthright answer. "Glad to see that you're honest about it." He quieted for a moment, looking at her more seriously. "I think it'd be best if I stayed in the chair for the night."

Bella nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Besides, we haven't even been on a date yet," he teased. "I'd feel a little weird sleeping next to you before that. It'd be too cheap."

The butterflies in her stomach grew in number at the mention of him wanting to go on a date with her and inside she smiled foolishly. "Actually, we have been on a date," she confided.

"We have?"

"Italiano's," Bella said. "That was our first date."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

Edward raised one eyebrow in mock consideration of her statement. "How can it be a first date if I didn't know it was?"

Bella shrugged. "Because boys are generally stupid like that."

Pretending that his pride was hurt, Edward put a hand to his chest. "How dare you mock the male gender? I'm deeply offended."

She laughed lightly and looked down, toying with the hem of the bed sheet. "So… cheapness aside, would you… stay with me?" She would have been more literal and said, "sleep with me," but figured her face was already the shade of a lobster. Any more blood rushing to her head and she'd probably burst.

Edward appeared uneasy at her request, but he nodded and quietly shuffled over to the bed. She scooted over, allowing him room and he climbed in, pulling the covers up over him. They both looked at each other, not knowing what exactly to do. Naturally it was up to Bella to make the first move, so she sidled further down beneath the sheets and cautiously turned toward him. Swallowing nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing, Edward did his best to relax on his back, lifting his left arm so that she could mold to the side of his body and rest her cheek against his chest.

For a moment, Bella could have sworn that she didn't hear his heart beating. She would have thought it would have been clearly audible with her so close to him. But then again, her own heart was stuttering so loudly within her chest that she heard its cadence in her ears. More than likely the sound of her own nervousness masked everything else. When his chest lifted as he took in a breath, she relaxed. His arm slowly, gently, fell over her side, his hand resting in the curve between her ribs and her hipbone.

"Thank you," she whispered in the darkness, slowly shutting her eyes.

In response, Edward lightly kissed the top of her head and hugged her to him just a little more closely.


	10. Ch 9: The Beginning of the Truth

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** SO sorry for not updating sooner. Real life is a little crazy right now. Periodically, I'll post A/Ns on my LJ, so if it's been awhile since the last update, check my LJ and see if I've said anything. As always, **twi-ction** is my beta lifesaver.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Beginning of the Truth**

Images flashed through her mind in color and sometimes in black and white, creating a story of her past as the moon transformed into the brilliant sun. The song of a cardinal filtered through her window, dancing in the air until it reached her ears. Its tune brought her from the land of dreams into one of reality. She buried her face into the soft pillow that held her head, and she breathed in deeply.

Memories from last night flitted through her mind and the lids of her eyes slowly peeled open as she stared at the empty space before her.

"How did you sleep?" a voice said to her. Its lilt was haunting in a way she could not place and she carefully stretched her sleep-laden limbs so that she was now almost sitting.

Her hair was askew; the strands tangled into a bird's nest on her head and she lazily pushed them away to look toward the dish chair where a familiar figure resided.

She licked her lips and grimaced, tasting the stale breath and chapped skin. "Why are you over there?" The sun cast its light through a sliver in the window, painting her face and part of the floor with its luminescence. She squinted and crawled to the end of her bed where the shadows were welcoming.

Edward sat still within the chair, his eyes locked on something invisible on the floor. "I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you," he murmured, almost too quietly for her ears. "You were so peaceful…"

Bella had to strain for those last words, but somewhere, deep down, she felt embarrassed, anxious even. "Oh."

He looked up at her then, his amber eyes vibrant in the dark. It was almost impossible to see him where he sat away from the sun. Her obvious disappointment was evident in his voice. "It wasn't because I was with you, Bella. I'm just not an easy sleeper to begin with. Please don't think that it was because of you."

She watched him for a moment and then nodded as she ran a hand through her messy hair.

"I should probably go," he whispered.

"Why?" Her heart leapt in her throat as he stood to face her. It was then that she realized he was back in his clothes from last night. The makeshift pajamas she had given him were folded neatly on her desk.

"I just… I have to go," he said again, though he couldn't bring his eyes to hers.

"Wait," Bella stammered, practically falling out of her bed to meet him. The sun momentarily blinded her as she moved; yet she kept talking. "Why are you leaving? Edward, please talk to me."

When she finally moved her way into the shadows, he was gone. Her adrenaline rushing, Bella raced to her door and pulled it open. She stepped out into the hallway, searching for his presence, though both sides were empty.

"Edward!" she called out, running down the hall to her right. "Edward, wait!"

A door opened and a girl with bottle-blonde hair stepped out, nearly knocking Bella over. She held a toothbrush in her hand and scowl on her face. "What the hell? People are probably still sleeping you know."

Bella stumbled backward, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. She wanted to point out that obviously the girl wasn't sleeping, but was too speechless to say anything. The annoyed student closed her door in a rush, leaving Bella alone once again in the hall.

_Where had he gone? Why did he leave? _

Questions raced through her mind as she slowly shuffled back to her room. There was something that kept toying with the nerves in her brain, trying to make her remember something that she could not. Every time she was with Edward, she felt this way.

The pads of her fingers pressed against the rough grain of the door as it shut behind her. She let her eyes drift to the folded pajamas that he had worn during the night. His absence begged her to act. There was something different about Edward – that she knew.

Determination igniting her steps, Bella opened her closet in search of a small gray box. She stood on tip-toe, reaching high up to retrieve the desired possession, nearly toppling over to the floor in the process. Once the box was securely in her hands, she quickly pulled off the top. Several plastic bags full of dried herbs and spices lay within the cardboard container. It didn't take long for her to find the one with the small wooden-like stars.

After quickly getting dressed, Bella grabbed a few of the star anises and shoved them in her pocket. Her stomach protested for food and her head pounded with the need for caffeine, but nothing would halt her from what she was about to do.

"_Hold these in your hand, Izzy," Mary Alice instructed. _

_Isabella felt the rough edges of the herb poke and prod the soft skin of her palms. She waited patiently for her friend's next command. _

_Mary Alice smiled, a soft sparkle illuminating her golden irises. "Now close your eyes." _

_She did, allowing the darkness to consume her mind. _

"_Concentrate, Izzy," Mary Alice whispered. "Concentrate and tell me what you see." _

_Within the darkness, flames of color flickered softly. _

"_Focus," she heard her friend say. _

_Isabella focused on her voice and soon the colors flared into a blinding white light, causing her to gasp aloud._

"_What hast thou seen?" Mary Alice questioned anxiously. _

"_Light," Isabella gasped. "A bright light, everywhere." _

"_Look at me," Mary Alice murmured. _

_When Isabella's eyes finally opened, she blinked rapidly, astonished. A white glow radiated around her best friend. "Impossible," she whispered. "Can thou see it?" _

_A bubbling laugh escaped the small pixie's lips. "No. Only the holder of the magic can, Izzy. Star anise helps to ignite that power. If thou wantest something great enough, thou will find it in this way." _

Memories swam in her head, thick and heavy with the taste of a sweetness that was long gone. The icy cold wind stung her cheeks as Bella marched through the snow-laden ground. It was still early enough that she might make it to her first class, but she doubted it. The fish class could wait as far as she was concerned.

Her stomach growled and she cursed silently with each step she took. Clouds rolled overhead, masking the once streaming brightness of the sun. Frigid were the particles in the air as they clung together and created a fog with each breath she took.

Bella walked by students. She walked by professors and past locals who walked their dogs in the snow. A golden retriever called to her, its tail wagging in flashes of goldenrod yellow, but she dodged around the friendly dog and kept on her way.

The campus was so large, that Edward could be anywhere. As she stopped before one of the community bulletin boards, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the star anise. To people passing by, Bella would merely appear to be glancing at announcements for upcoming events on campus. In reality, she closed her eyes and tightened her grip around the star-like herbs. Her mind began to float away, succumbing to the blackness that lay behind her eyelids. Soon, voices turned into a quiet hum and flames of color flickered brilliantly within the darkness. The flames began to take shape, mirroring the figures of people passing by, even the tall ominous figures of the evergreens that stood a few feet away. The colors were different, creating an array of hues that not even a rainbow possessed. She reached out further to familiar pathways and buildings. The colors began to blur as the images sped faster in her mind the closer she came to the one thing she wanted to find. And then suddenly, a luminous white light blocked out the darkness, bleeding into colors that slowly began to fade away.

Bella opened her eyes and took off toward a building she knew all too well. The gargoyles that perched atop the old library were welcoming in a strange sort of way. Their blackened stone eyes watched her slip and skid across the icy steps until she finally made it inside the building in one piece. Again, she quickly grabbed the star anise and shut her eyes. This time, the flames merely sped past her, rising up what appeared to be flights of stairs.

She knew where he was.

Bella did her best to keep quiet as she climbed the stairs two at a time, but her heavy breath insisted on reverberating off of the cavernous walls. Soon, she found herself in the wing of the library where she often studied. Edward had to be in there.

Pocketing the star anise, Bella entered the empty study. Rows upon rows of books loomed over her as she slowly made her way down one of the aisles. It was still too early to have employees on each floor of the library, so as far as she knew they were the only ones in the room. A growing sense of anxiety began to rise from the pit of her stomach. Again, she wondered why Edward had left her so abruptly this morning. Did he not want to be around her anymore? Though as she thought this, she began to wonder if she was turning into one of those clingy girls, like Jessica. She grimaced at that thought and continued to search down another aisle. So far, there was no sign of him.

A quiet shuffling noise whispered from behind her and Bella spun around, her eyes searching for the source only to no avail.

"Looking for something?"

"Jesus!" Bella screeched at the sound of Edward's voice. Her adrenaline pumped through her veins as she turned back around to face him. He stared at her curiously, his eyebrows arched while he awaited her answer. She was only a few inches from him and she noted there were several books within his arms.

"Where the hell did you come from?" she asked, running a hand nervously through her hair.

Edward shrugged. "I was in the next aisle over. What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked back, accusing almost.

A deep sigh escaped his lips and he held up one of the books. "Research."

"For what?"

He moved past her with ease while she stumbled along behind him. "For the anthropology project I told you about the day we first met. Remember?"

"Oh." Bella frowned as she processed his words. Somehow, the Edward now and the one from this morning weren't meshing in her mind. There was something out of place.

"Why did you leave so suddenly this morning?" she asked as he placed his books on the table she usually deemed as her own.

His back stiffened before her and he kept his face turned away from hers as he spoke. "I think maybe we should back off a little. Maybe not hang out as much any more."

"Excuse me?" Bella asked, astonishment lacing her voice. Rather than her heart feeling slightly broken by his remark, anger only bubbled up within her small figure. "Weren't you the one always finding me, always having to check up on me? Now, you don't want to _hang out_ anymore?" She stared at his back incredulously and shook her head. "No wonder Jess says guys are absolutely brainless. You people make no sense."

"You say that like we're completely different," Edward retorted as he sorted his books a little too roughly on the table.

"First of all, I don't know if I should take that as an insult or not, and secondly," Bella spat. "We _are_ different, Edward."

He turned around to her sharply. Instead of seeing anger in his eyes, she only saw sadness. There was something about the finality of her words that seemed to trouble her as well. She glanced down nervously and stubbed the tip of her shoe on the carpeted floor. "I mean… I'm not a guy… obviously."

"Men and women aren't that different, Bella."

She rolled her eyes and moved past him to sit down at the small table. "Well last time I checked, I didn't have something dangling between my legs. So yeah, I think we are."

Edward made a little choking sound in the back of his throat and carefully avoided eye contact with her as he turned back to the table. A small grin of victory took shape across Bella's lips. She picked up a book and began to idly flip through its worn pages. "So, are you going to truthfully answer my question or not?"

A silence seemed to stretch out between them and after a few moments, Bella looked up from the book to see Edward staring at her with that odd, curious expression he sometimes wore.

"You are a strange woman, do you know that?" he finally said.

Bella arched an eyebrow as an incredulous look painted her features. "Um… that's not exactly the answer I was looking for."

"There are things about my past that you don't know," he admitted seriously. "They are things that you can't know about me, Bella, and if you ever do… Well, I can be quite certain that you'd hate me for all eternity."

The word 'eternity' didn't go amiss to her ears, but Bella sobered her expression immediately. "There are things about my past that you don't know either, Edward."

A grin, mocking in all its glory, spread across Edward's lips. "Oh, I doubt that."

Bella smirked back and dug into the pocket of her jeans. She tossed the star anise on the table.

"Star anise," Edward said, picking up one of the wooden-like herbs. "What's this for?"

"_That_ is how I found you."

He slid his gaze to her in confusion. "I don't follow."

"I wouldn't expect you to. Honestly, I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she sighed, wondering if she was completely going insane. Bella quickly looked around to make sure no one else was up there with them and sat up straighter in her chair. Noting the latch on the window to her left, she locked her eyes with his and smiled. Within moments, the window flew open and a chilling wind bit at their skin.

Edward startled at the fast motion and turned to the window. It stayed open for a minute more and then quickly slammed shut.

Turning back to her, his eyes wide, Edward pulled out the chair on his side of the table and sat down. "I don't know what to say."

Bella's smile grew wider and she leaned across the old-stained wooden surface until her face was inches from his. "You don't need to say anything. Just watch." And in that moment the lights above them began to flicker until finally they went out. Edward glanced up, but didn't move his face from hers. He heard the high pitch of her giggle just as the lights flipped back on.

"How?" he asked disbelievingly.

Bella shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "I've had these abilities for as long as I can remember."

A deep furrow carved its way into Edward's forehead as he thought about her confession. "The night at Italiano's when the outside light blew… that was you?"

One single nod from her confirmed his question. "Sometimes I can't control my powers when my emotions are haywire. I was sick, so my defenses were naturally down, which they still sort of are," she mumbled the last part quietly. "But I was around you."

Edward watched her intently, staying silent across the table until she finished explaining.

"I've always been on my own and didn't even consider going back into the world of dating. Actually, most of my friends are of the same gender and they're pretty few in number. I try not to get too close to anyone," Bella muttered, nervously spinning the star anise on the tabletop. "I was a little flustered to be with you and that plus my weakened immune system didn't help matters much. My powers, if that's what you want to call them, weren't as easy to control."

"Why are you telling me this?" he questioned softly.

She shrugged and leaned back in her seat, her gaze finally reaching his. "Because ever since I met you, it's all I've been thinking about. I feel like I have to tell you. That doesn't make any sense, does it?" she sighed, letting a soft laugh escape her lips.

Edward grinned and shifted his gaze to the star anise on the table. "Well, all the same, my past is much different from yours. It's not something I want you to get involved in, Bella, which is why I think it's best that we keep our distance."

"You won't tell me your secrets," she said. It wasn't a question, but more of a confirmation.

He nodded silently, watching her.

Bella glanced out the stained glass window. "Do you _want_ to stay away from me?"

"No."

She turned to look at him, her eyes widened slightly at his confession.

"But it's not that easy," he muttered.

Bella shook her head and reached out to cover his hand with hers. "Talk to me," she pleaded.

"No," he whispered roughly again, yanking his hand away from her touch. "I don't want you to be damned by the truth."

She watched in alarm as he stood abruptly, grabbing his jacket. "Don't follow me," he warned.

She blinked.

And he was gone.

Bella spun around, her eyes wild as she searched the empty room. Her hands were shaking from the frigid chill his absence left behind. She dropped her head in her hands and shut her eyes tightly to block out the pain she suddenly felt in her heart. What was he hiding from her?

The books he had placed on the table were still there and as Bella stared blindly at the worn spines, one text in particular caught her eye. She reached for it – a dusty, laminated cover – its title reading, _Wicca & Witchcraft_. Frowning, Bella put the book down and noticed several others with similar titles. But there was one book, dark in color, thick in size, whose words sparked a frost that burned her nerves until she felt nothing. It was a book that had been around for hundreds of years and had been reprinted over and over again. Back when Bella was still human, it struck fear in the hearts of women and revenge in the eyes of men. This book had been the launch of mass killings. It was to blame for hundreds of innocent lives.

Her breathing ceased as she pushed the other books aside to grasp the wicked text that felt so heavy within her small hands.

_Malleus Maleficarum._

"The hammer of witches," Bella breathed in fear. This wasn't just some child's toy of a book. During the Salem Witch Trials, people used this asinine treatise to differentiate between those who were witches and those who were not. Many people died who were truly innocent, because fear overruled logic. This book not only told how to tell who was a witch, but also informed the reader on how to kill one. None of it really worked, but why Edward had it in his collection, struck a chord of hatred deep within her, that all she saw was blinding rage.

The star anise left behind, Bella took the book and raced out of the library as fast as her feet could carry her. She didn't even care that she had basically stolen the artifact. No one saw her and no one would find out.

Icy wind blew through her hair and kissed her cheeks until the blood froze within her veins. She had been betrayed. She had fallen for the enemy. Edward was someone she thought she could trust. But in reality, he had known all along what she was.

It didn't take long to find him. He was standing at the edge of the tree line, far enough away from other students passing by. If Bella didn't known any better, it was as if he was waiting for her.

She marched up to him and threw the book down at his feet. White crystals danced up into the air, splashing liquid ice on their legs.

His eyes were black, emotionless within the pale, porcelain complexion of his face.

Bella's erratic breathing washed over him in opaque clouds of air. She moved closer to him, her emotions blazing as she seethed, "Who are you?"

* * *

**Reviews are better than star anise. :)**


	11. Ch 10: Determined

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **Again, I apologize for not updating sooner. Life has been crazy busy for both myself and my beta, so it's just taken a bit longer to get this posted. Anyway, thank you for all of the great reviews and big thanks to all of you new readers out there! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Determined**

_July 18, 1692_

_A gust of hot air blew through the chlorophyll-drunken leaves. They swished and swayed, creating a song of their own which drifted away to un-listening ears for miles. _

_Despite the heat of summer, a shiver ran down Isabella's spine. She stood before the Jail House, feeling small and afraid in its presence. This time tomorrow, her best friend would be tried and hung for her supposed crimes._

_Isabella let out a breath of air, which intermingled with the summer breeze. This would be the last time she would ever speak to Mary Alice again. _

_The guard had led her down a flight of stone steps that rooted themselves deep within the earth. From the moment she took her first step down into the shadowy dungeon, she could smell the decay. It made her nostrils flare and her stomach churn. Coughs and moans elicited into the air around her, making her shiver with fright._

"_Come along now, Miss," the guard grunted as he held out a lantern an arm's length from his face. _

_Isabella hurried to keep up with him; her eyes darting frantically from side to side as they finally entered the main portion of the prison. Cells lined the walls and within each small cell Isabella counted at least five occupants – some of them children._

"_She be 'ere," the guard said loudly, knocking away a bare hand that had reached out to him from another cell in hopes of food._

_Isabella jumped and turned to the cellblock that he had gestured to. She could make out figures within the cell, but the details were muddled. The light from the lantern only reached so far. _

"_At five past, I'll come back to get thee, Miss Swan." _

_She turned to him and watched as he set the lantern down in the middle of the dirtied ground before he left. _

_Swallowing hard, Isabella moved toward the cell and whispered, "Mary Alice?" _

_She didn't hear a sound, but movement could be seen in the depths of the shadows. _

"_Mary Alice, it is Isabella. Is thou in there?" _

_Still, there was no answer. _

_Feeling bold, and somewhat terrified, Isabella knelt to the ground in front of the metal bars. "Alice?" It was the informal version of her dear friend's name and Isabella rarely used it, but she didn't see a need in formalities any more. "Alice?" she whispered again, but this time more forcefully._

_She barely registered the gust of frigid air that blew past her face or the sound of dirt shifting beneath someone's feet, but within seconds, Mary Alice had her face pressed against the bars of her cage, staring back at her best friend. _

_A startled cry escaped Isabella's lips and it took a moment for her heart to calm its pace. "You frightened me," she gasped. _

"_Izzy," Mary Alice whispered, her voice raw and pained. The shadows that lay beneath her eyes and in the crevices of her cheeks made her seem inhuman before Isabella's startled gaze. The once vibrant brilliancy of the summer sun, which shone in Mary Alice's eyes days before, was now gone. The light had burnt out and left in its wake the blackness of death. This was no longer her best friend – yes, she was before Isabella, but Mary Alice's soul had disappeared. It was murdered the day they accused her for a crime she did not commit. _

_Mary Alice's chapped lips split as she smiled; her tiny dirtied hands gripped the bars before her. "My dear sweet Isabella," she murmured. "How I have missed you so." _

_Tears burned behind Isabella's eyes but she refused to let them fall. This would be the last time they would see each other before the hanging and crying was not something she would let Mary Alice remember her for. _

_Isabella smiled, her lips quivering. "How are you?" she whispered brokenly. _

_Mary Alice continued to smile, though a deep crevice began to form in her forehead. "In two nights time, something will happen, Izzy." _

_Frowning, Isabella tucked her skirts beneath her and sat down on the dirtied floor. "What doest thou mean?"_

"_Something horrible," Mary Alice continued. "But thou shall be saved, though it will not be from Carlisle as thou wilt believe."_

"_Alice, I –"_

"_This man," Mary Alice said earnestly, producing a torn piece of parchment from the pockets of her dress. "This man will save thee." _

_Isabella took the paper, which was in fact a sketch. She tried to view the details of the figure before her, but the darkness impaired her vision. _

_A loud reverberating creak from a door alerted her to someone else's presence. The guard came up to her, gruffly saying, "Tis time to leave, Miss Swan."_

"_What?" she questioned, her heart racing in pace. "But I've not said goodbye!" Had time really flown by so quickly? She felt as if she had just arrived. Her promise to not cry had been smashed as soon as she turned back to face Mary Alice. _

"_Oh Alice," she sighed, feeling the hot liquid stream down her cheeks. _

"_Hush," Mary Alice murmured. "Thou will not cry over my death." She reached her tiny hand through the bars and squeezed Isabella's hand. "We shall see each other again, Izzy. I promise thee."_

_

* * *

_

_Present_

"Who are you?" Bella seethed, glaring into his midnight gaze. There was something about his demeanor that told her to be careful, but she tested the waters and stepped even closer to him.

Edward watched her, unmoving. His look was not one of anger or vehemence. It was once of deep sadness. "You know," he muttered, almost too quietly for her ears. "You already know, Isabella."

A gust a wind picked up the snow around them, blinding Bella momentarily. When she brushed the hair out of her face, ready to respond back to him, he was already gone.

The only reminder of his presence was the book lying half-buried in the snow, forgotten.

* * *

Concentration was not high on Bella's list for the day. It was easy to return to the book back to its rightful place in the library, though she doubted that anyone would truly miss it had she left it alone. Time seemed to bleed together as she went from class to class for the remaining days of the week. Even returning to work didn't seem to take her mind off of things. She didn't see Edward again, nor did she hear from him. And when it was time for her Jane Austen class on Friday afternoon, Bella was somewhat let down when Edward never appeared. She took her test with a blank mind. It was ludicrous to pretend to be someone she was not. The only thing she could think of was Edward's last words.

"_You already know, Isabella."_

Anyone could deduce Bella being a nickname for Isabella, but the way he said it made it feel more intense… like he had known her before. Though for the life of her, she could not ever remember meeting him in her past. The connection she felt whenever she was with him, however, was something she could not shake.

That night, as she sat on her bed, her journals laid out before her, she closed her eyes and tried to remember a time that she had desperately attempted to repress.

A chill washed over her and Bella shuddered as memories raced through her mind.

_The sky was dark, almost black, as she ran. Dark silhouettes of trees sped past her in a blur. She looked up, but the stars' light could barely penetrate through the midnight canopy of leaves. Her breath was erratic. Her pulse was sharp, pounding in her head._

"_Jacob, run!" _

_She turned to look over her shoulder. Jacob was only a few steps behind her. _

"_Isabella, go! Keep going. Thou shant worry about me, I am right here." _

_Fear settled deep within her heart as whispers floated through the air. There was an unseen evil here and she felt its presence burrow within every fiber of her being. A loud cackling shriek echoed close by and Isabella felt an icy cold chill coat her skin as sweat broke out over her forehead. _

"_Is thou stillest behind thee?" she questioned the darkness, terrified to turn around. _

_A warm hand enveloped hers as Jacob finally caught up to her pace. "I am here, Izzy," he murmured close, his voice quivering. _

"_We will not make it. _I_ will not make it," she sobbed as another screech sang through the forest. _

_She felt the tightened squeeze of his fingers around hers. "Yes, thou wilt. I promise." _

_A dull thud sounded behind them and Jacob cursed at her side. "The bullets fell." _

"_What?" Isabella questioned, frantic as he let go of her hand. _

"_The sack that held them fell. I have to go back there." _

"_No!" she cried, grabbing his arm to pull him in her direction. "Jacob, thou canst! Please!" _

"_We shant be unarmed!" he shouted, pulling away from her. "I will not leave them there. Go! Isabella, go!" _

_He grabbed her then, kissing her hard. "Run and do not look back. I will find you." _

_Tears streaming down her face, Isabella ran as she was told. She ran until a strangled cry stung her ears and pierced her heart. Skidding to a halt, her blood running cold, she slowly turned around. _

_There was nothing. No one. The vast emptiness of the ominous woods stood before her as a slight breeze swept stray leaves through the air in lazy circles. _

_All had become eerily silent. _

_Her breath came in short, quiet hitches as her chin trembled and fresh tears pooled in her eyes. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Jacob?" _

_A low growl rumbled to her right and she cried out, backing up into the trunk of a tree. Something wet fell onto her shoulder, another on her chest. Isabella watched as the fabric of her dress slowly began to stain red. A strangled sob broke through her lips and she slowly looked up into the branches high above her. _

_Jacob's eyes were wide and terrified, staring back at her, his limbs a tangled mess, broken and twisted. Blood dripped from his neck where the flesh had been peeled back, exposing a shredded esophagus. _

_Isabella expelled a horrific scream as she backed away from the tree. And then she began to run. Tears blinded her vision as she raced in the direction of her home. She and her father had lived far enough away from town so that Isabella did not have to hide away her talents as often. But now, as she stumbled over displaced roots and tangles of ivy, she wished that they had lived closer to town. She and Jacob would never have been in this predicament if they had. And now that Isabella's father was dead, if she _did_ make it back to the house, there would be no one there to protect her._

"_God help me," she whimpered, pushing away another low-lying branch. _

_Cold breath could suddenly be felt on the back of her neck and Isabella's heart lurched within her chest as a sadistic voice whispered in her ear, "God has nothing to do with it." _

_In that moment, she thought that this would be the end of her life. She thought she would be ripped to shreds like Jacob. But as a gust of wind blew past her and she spun around, there was no one. The fear was far too great as it clenched around Isabella's heart, and her mind succumbed to the numbing darkness as her body collapsed to the ground. _

_Though in an unconscious state, sounds and feelings seemed to drift through her mind. It was as if her brain was trying to fight against the pressure weighing down so heavily upon it. She felt something cold pressed gently against her. Whether it was on her arm or her face, she couldn't tell. A voice, melodic in its syllables, echoed in the distance. It was soothing and calm – a contrast to the spectral voice from earlier. Again, she couldn't tell whom the voice belonged to. It wasn't one she recognized. But soon, the nerve endings in her brain seemed to give up in their fight. No sensation appeared to accost her until much later in the night when another, different, voice awakened her mind. _

"_Isabella? Miss Swan, can thou hearest me?" _

_Dazed, her nerves still tingling with fear, Isabella looked up to where Dr. Cullen now leaned over her in the darkness of the forest. "Wh-What happened?" she croaked. Her voice was different; it didn't sound her own. _

_Breathing in deeply, his nostrils flaring, he said, "Thou twas being chased. Doest thou remember the attacker?" _

_The bloodcurdling scream that pushed past Jacob's lips echoed in her mind and she visibly shuddered. "No." _

_Nodding, he carefully slid his arms beneath her and scooped her up, cradling her against his chest. _

"_Twas vampires. Was it not, Carlisle?" she whimpered. _

_The term made has entire body stiffen but he continued to walk them through the woods with ease. "Aye, but they are gone now." _

_Isabella shut her eyes tightly. "I thought it was a trick. I thought they were mere rumors." _

"_Thou needest rest," he stated firmly, yet quietly. "I shall take you back home now, Izzy." _

_Her eyes felt heavy and she let her grief and exhaustion take over, but not before whispering, "Do no call me Izzy."_

_The next time she awoke, it was sometime during the night, though which night, she wasn't sure. She could have been asleep for days for all she knew._

_Carlisle was sitting in her father's study, pouring over countless books by candlelight. When she entered the room, he said, "How doest thou feel?" Though he never looked up to her, she knew that he had sensed her presence. _

"_Better," she muttered, though her skin still felt clammy with fear. Her stomach was twisted in knots and the haunting cry that escaped Jacob's lips still permeated her mind. _

_Carlisle turned to her; flimsy framed spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. "Thou needest not lie, Isabella." He sighed heavily, a sad smile gracing his poised face. He spoke to her without pretense or formality. "The sick pallor of your skin and the sheen of sweat that coats your forehead tells me otherwise. I know how you feel, though you may choose to not believe me."_

_Isabella swallowed and glanced around the room, trying her best to keep another wave of tears at bay. "What is thou doing?" _

"_Research." _

_The golden waves of his hair shone in the dull lighting of the room. She watched him through tired eyes, her hand resting on the frame of the doorway. "Carlisle," she whispered. "What is happening?" _

_The tiny fragility that was her voice spoke volumes to him. It made his chest constrict and sorrow fill his heart. "Unspeakable things, dear one," he disclosed, his quiet, almost inaudible, voice reaching her ears. _

_Finally, he stood from the worn, wooden desk to come stand before her. The goldenrod flecks of his irises sparked in the darkness. "We need to talk."_

"_About what?" she asked, wary of the intonation in his voice._

_There was a brief silence, one that engulfed her from her feet up to her head and she waited, not breathing in a single breath, until he finally spoke. _

"_Alice." _

_The fact that he used her nickname for her dear friend made her jaw clench in anger. Mary Alice was gone and it was all because of this man before her. Not that she hated him, but he always seemed rather peculiar to her. It wasn't until some of the townsfolk caught Mary Alice standing near a field with a dead cow that rumors sprout up about her in the town. The only reason she was even near that field was because of him. Dr. Cullen wanted her to find more herbs for his medicinal collection. The apparent story was that a farmer found her kneeling beside the dead beast, whispering an incantation in some foreign tongue. From that point on, everyone assumed that she used magic to make the cow drop dead of its own accord. Dr. Cullen, or Carlisle as he often wanted people to call him, wasn't aware of the situation until he ran out of the woods that bordered the field. At that point though, no matter how much he was respected in the town, hysteria won over reason._

"_What about Alice?" _

_Carlisle sighed heavily, forced. His nostrils flared minutely. "Doest thou remember the tonic Alice made the night of her arrest?" _

_Isabella nodded uncertainly, remembering how her friend insisted that she needed the liquid for her jumbled nerves. _

"_She conjured something – a potion. It was mixed in the tonic." _

_Ice-cold shock washed over her. Carlisle was the only other being that knew of she and Alice's gifts. They only toyed in mere trivial spells and he never thought it pertinent for the townsfolk to know. When Carlisle requested a specific herb for his medicine collection, Alice and Isabella showed him their talents and he watched in awe as his request grew up from out of the soiled earth. From that point on, he knew and kept their secret safe. _

"_That is impossible," she retorted, though her voice trembled with disbelief. _

_Carlisle looked down to the dirtied floor beneath his feet, frowning. "Thou knowest that Alice was a seer?" _

_Again, only a nod came from Isabella. _

"_Whatever it was that she saw, she felt it important that thou be protected from it." _

_Eyes widened, Isabella looked up at the young, strange doctor before her. Like Alice, he also had the same tawny, alien eyes. "What exactly did I drink, Carlisle?" _

"_An elixir of protection," he answered quietly. "One that has now given thou life an unnatural length."_

_Crazed, feeling the brink of hysteria clawing its way to the surface, Isabella clutched at his arm. "Doest thou speakest of immortality?" _

_He looked at her grimly, not even wincing when her grip tightened. "Yes." _

"_That is impossible," she growled, her words hard. "There is no one who can live an immortal life." _

_A beat of silence showered over the room. Carlisle watched her calmly as sheer terror spread throughout the layers of her flesh. "Vampires live an immortal life, Isabella."_

"_I am _not_ a vampire!" she screeched frantically. _

"_No. You're not." He was calm in his assertion, his gaze never leaving hers. "But they are out there. One of them tried to kill you tonight. You are damn lucky that it did not." _

_Isabella didn't need to be reminded of that fact and she visibly shuddered. "How doest thou even know about them?" she questioned, rather accusingly. _

_Carlisle smiled softly and took a couple steps away from her. "Ye think the more important question now is what will happen to you?" _

_That struck a chord deep within her. Was she really immortal? Were such things possible if one was still technically alive?_

"_Like I said," the young doctor began. "Alice gave thou a very powerful potion, dear one. While she may not be here, she has sworn to protect you in her death. Did she ever telleth thou about her vision?" _

_Isabella nodded. "Only a little. But it made no sense. She said that something bad was to happen and that I would be saved… though not by you." Slowly, her gaze drifted to the staircase that led up to her room. Tucked deep within a drawer of her dresser was the sketch that Mary Alice had given her the day before she died. _

Reality slammed back into Bella hard, knocking her to the floor. She breathed heavily, wincing at the bruise that was beginning to form on her arm.

The sketch. She had to see it. Her memory of the drawing was not very clear and she had left it in her house. After that night with Carlisle, Bella had left Salem. There was too much pain there for her to stay. Everything about that life she had left behind in the home. She knew, by countless excursions to the town, that her home was left untouched in the middle of the woods, left to rot away. But every time she got near to it, it struck a cadence of fear within her heart. So, she stayed away.

Now, however, it seemed that Salem owed her another visit. But first, the present matter needed to be dealt with. Edward wasn't on any school directory, therefore, she could never find the means to contact him. If she couldn't focus her energies there, she had to focus on the fact that there were _beings_ out there that were following her. All of their most recent attacks seemed to center around a small Washington town in the middle of nowhere.

Candles lit the room in which she sat, a look of determination written across her face. She waved a hand in the air, silencing the room into darkness.

Tomorrow morning she would travel to Forks.


	12. Ch 11: Startling Awareness

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **I know it's been forever. I'm sorry... I promise it won't take as long to post the next update. lol Anyway, as always, a big thanks to my beta **twi-ction**. Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Startling Awareness**

The windshield wipers worked lazily across the glass as they pushed the falling snow from her view. Forest stretched on for miles on either side of the road, so dense in their patterns of trees, that had someone tried to see past the first few limbs they would have failed.

A static of noise filled the small car and Bella reached out to tune the radio station once more. "You're listening to 103.9 where we play the best contemporary music in Forks, Washington. Here's Jimmy with the latest on your morning traffic."

Bella turned the radio off and sighed audibly within the confines of the Corolla. Coming to Forks was an impulse decision. She had to skip out on more work, which meant more apologies to Claire and a promise to make butterscotch fudge upon her return – a favorite of the small shop. Her nerves sang with unease as she drove down the winding isolated roads, but deep down she knew that she had to make this trip. Since she had met Edward, she had begun to piece back the parts of the puzzle in her life that were missing. Without his presence she felt that gaping hole in her chest, that feeling of loss that clung to her for so many years.

_"Who are you?" Bella seethed, glaring into his midnight gaze. There was something about his demeanor that told her to be careful, but she tested the waters and stepped even closer to him. _

_Edward watched her, unmoving. His look was not one of anger or vehemence. It was one of deep sadness. "You know," he muttered, almost too quietly for her ears. "You already know, Isabella." _

Somehow, Bella had a feeling that her past and her present had more in common than she realized. Edward had left her there alone that day, and with his absence came the end of the strange _happenings_ that had taken place in her dorm and on campus. She didn't feel as if someone were constantly watching her any longer. That was both comforting and disturbing.

Glancing down at the map laid out neatly on the passenger seat, Bella followed the highlighted route, hoping that she would reach the small town soon enough. When she did, she pulled off into the nearest gas station. Old trucks hummed and grunted next to the gas pumps as she got out and entered the store. The bell chimed overhead and an older woman with silver hair smiled kindly to her from behind the register. Bella nodded in her direction before heading to the refreshments counter in search of coffee. As she grabbed a styrofoam cup and a few packs of sugar, the bell from the main door chimed once more.

"Mornin' Maggie," a warm voice spoke loudly, greeting the elderly clerk.

"Good morning, Harry. How's the family?"

"Fine, just fine."

Bella grasped the handle of the coffee carafe and poured the steaming hot liquid into the cup. She heard the man slap something down on the counter as he said, "I'll just take one today, Mags."

The ring of the register echoed in the distance as Bella dumped powdered cream and sugar into the brown caffeinated beverage. No one was around close enough to notice, so she picked up a stirrer and let the wooden stick swirl in the drink on its own as she reached up to grab a few napkins.

She barely registered the sounds of quiet murmurings from the front of the store.

"Did you hear about the attack last night?" Harry muttered.

Bella's hand instantly halted the stirrer as her fingers gripped the rim of the cup.

Silence met his reply, so he continued. "Up where that old, run-down mansion is? That one that's been there since the eighteen hundreds?"

"That old thing? Sounds an awful lot like a horror movie setting if you ask me," Maggie commented. "Sure it's just not a bunch of kids making it up?"

"If it were, the Chief wouldn't have had most of the squad there last night. Well, in any case, don't go near the area, okay?"

"Ha!" she laughed, waving him on. "What's an old woman like me having any business being there? I live on the other side of town, Harry. I don't need to go anywhere near the place."

"Well, just so you're aware," he said, before walking toward the door.

"Fine, fine," she sighed. "Have a good one, you hear?"

Bella came here for a reason. She had no information other than the news to go by and she was ready to search out the area where the campers had been attacked. Now, that there had been a new attack, Maggie may be the one to give her the answers she needed.

Carefully placing a lid on her coffee, Bella walked up to the counter and pulled out a few dollars to pay for her drink. "Hello," she greeted warmly.

Maggie smiled back, the skin around her eyes crinkling as she did so. "Hello, dear. How are you doing this morning?"

"Great, thanks." She watched as the older woman rang up her purchase and took the money that had been placed before her.

"I was wondering…" Bella began. "I'm on my way back to campus and I couldn't help but overhear that man talking about an attack?"

"Oh don't you worry about it, honey," Maggie voiced quickly. "You'll be fine."

"Well, I just..." Maggie handed back Bella's change and she pocketed it quickly. "I just didn't know if I'd be driving past that area on my way back."

"No. It's in the opposite direction, dear, way out of the way of Highway 101. Trust me, you won't be traveling anywhere near it."

A pleased smile spread across Bella's lips as she picked up her coffee. "Well, thank you very much. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, honey. And you be careful driving back!"

Bella waved as she left the store and hurried back to her car. Smoothing out the surface of her road map, she stared down at the dark black line that signified the highway she had been traveling on. Closing her eyes, she focused on where she wanted to be and raised the palm of her hand so that it hovered just over the map's surface. Within seconds, the skin of her palm was introduced to something warm. Bella glanced down quickly and saw a faint light sparkling up at her from the map. It was off in an unnamed part of the map just a little ways away from Highway 101.

Now she had a destination in mind.

Without another thought, Bella pulled the Corolla back onto the highway and drove off toward the mansion that Harry spoke of.

As she drove, the clouds overhead grew in number. They rolled across the sky in gray blankets that hid the vegetation from the empowering rays of the sun. More of the sky's frozen tears fell to the Earth. They clung to the windshield of the small Corolla, kissing its body with lips of ice.

Bella squinted through the increasing mist of snow that fell around her. The windshield wipers could only brush away so many before more snowflakes took their place. The further from town she drove, the more dense the forest became. She glanced down to the map, assuring herself that she was heading in the right direction.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye and as Bella looked back to the road, a deer burst through the barrier of trees. Gasping, she slammed on her breaks, the back end of her car fish-tailing slightly on the slick road. The deer just barely skimmed past the front end of her car as it sped across the highway.

With trembling hands, Bella was able to take control of the car and steer it to the side of the road. The engine hummed quietly as she sat there, her chest heaving with the adrenaline that still coursed through her veins. She turned to look out the window at the falling snow. Through the white haze, her eyes drank in the sight of crimson stains that littered the asphalt. Numbly, she turned the ignition off and slowly made her way out of the car. Pools of red liquid streamed through small crevices in the road. She followed the path of scarlet with her eyes, until she spotted the deer lying in the snow on the other side of the highway. Its chest rose and fell haphazardly with its labored breath. Bright claret blood flowed from its neck and the animal tried to scream, but its voice only sounded garbled in the winter air.

Inhaling sharply at the sight before her, Bella scrambled to get back in the car. All she could think of was the deer's haunted gaze staring back at her, pleading with her for help. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she slammed the car door shut. She tried to swallow the bile that rose in her throat as her body began to shake.

Whatever had happened to that deer occurred before it jumped in front of her car. She hadn't missed the wound on its neck. While it could have fallen victim to a number of wild animals in these woods, Bella knew better.

A solid figure suddenly sped past her car, but through the falling snow, Bella had no idea what it was. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel tight enough to make the skin across her knuckles turn a ghostly white. She sat still within the confines of her car, thinking that if she didn't move, nothing would happen. Shutting her eyes, she prayed and wished for this.

After a few moments of complete silence, Bella willed herself to peer out. She turned to the side of the road where the deer had laid, dying a slow, horrific death. And as her eyes searched through the dancing snow, a gush of hot air pushed past her lips.

The deer was gone.

Fear pierced her heart.

What was she doing? Why was she out here all alone?

Tears climbed up her throat, invading her sinuses until they pooled in her eyes. She came here for answers. She came here for the truth. But the truth had been there in the deer's eyes, staring her right in the face. It had been there to watch her through the dead gaze of Jacob as he hung lifelessly in the tree those many years ago. If she wanted to know the truth, then she needed to be prepared for the consequences. She needed to be prepared for the loss and the pain.

A quiet sob broke past her lips as she turned the keys in the ignition. The engine of the Corolla thrummed to life. There was no going back now. Whatever was out here with her wouldn't let her leave. Not yet. It was time to complete her journey.

Resolution pushed her forward and she drove the car slowly back onto the road and continued on her way. When she found the dirt path that jutted off of the main highway, deep into the woods, she felt her heart jump-start violently within her chest.

There was no going back now.

The reflection of dead tree limbs passed over the clear glass of the windshield as Bella cautiously drove through the maze of trees. A crow cawed in the distance and she tightened her grip around the steering wheel in response. Though it seemed like hours, only minutes had passed by until a clearing could be seen ahead. With each turn of the tires, Bella felt her gaze shift in different directions, checking her surroundings.

As the road opened wider into the clearing, Bella recognized the outline of an old home. Though most of it appeared to be hidden beneath layers of ivy and growth, it still held the presence of grandeur. Tall pillars supported the slope of the roof. They decorated the edge of the large veranda, whose floor was hidden beneath clumps of dead roots and dried leaves. A blanket of snow had fallen over the composite of vegetation. Two rows of windows looked out onto the forest, their panes all but smashed in from years of neglect and abuse.

Bella sat in her car, parked before the abandoned home, and stared in awe. According to Harry, this was where the most recent attack had taken place. Maggie had been quick to dismiss his story as a mere rumor, but Bella couldn't find it in herself to do the same. She could feel the presence of something unknown lurking in these woods. She felt unseen eyes watching her in that very moment.

Her mind waged a silent battle as Bella sat in the car, deciding on whether or not to go into the home. Her gaze drifted over the decaying appearance of the building before her, and as she studied it, a slight movement from a second story window caught her attention. She squinted her eyes, desperate to see through the haze of snow. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn she saw a figure there, watching her.

Regardless of whether she was alone or not, she had to step inside. She had to come face to face with her past. She was tired of running from what she knew had been after her for years. Those attacks she wrote about in her journals were warnings. Ever since she had been chased by the vampire in Salem's woods, it seemed as if these strange attacks followed her wherever she went. Only now had the cause of the attacks come so close to her. Bella had no doubt that they were caused by vampires. The same question spun around in her mind as it had done for years - if they were after her, why wasn't she dead yet? Over three hundred years had passed since Jacob's death and yet she was still alive.

Bella drew in a deep breath. If anyone knew what she was doing, and actually _believed_ it, they would have thought she was crazy. She could die today. When Carlisle told her that she was immortal, it only described how long she could actually live. It didn't mean that she was safe from death. She could still fall and bruise her knee or cut her skin and watch the blood spill forth. Her powers did help her in times of danger, and maybe that was the key to keeping her alive for as long as she had been. If she could have only spoken with Mary Alice about it, she would understand this more. But Mary Alice was dead, and there ended the source of her information. If she could just figure out why these vampires were after her, maybe she could figure out things in her past that still remained a mystery to her now.

Releasing the seatbelt with a soft click, Bella breathed in deeply, her lungs expanding with cold oxygen. She could sit in her car and stare at the haunted ruins for hours, but it would get her nowhere. Instead, she climbed out of the car and let her feet take her to her awaiting fate, one step at a time.

The rotten wood of the veranda groaned beneath her weight as she stood before the splintered door. Dried vines clung to the atrophied entrance, acting as a second skin to the already battered exterior.

Her breath was but a small billow of fog that swirled into the frozen air before her lips. She steadied herself, her outstretched fingers twitching minutely before pressing against the rough door and pushing. It did not give easily in the confines of the overgrowth, so Bella pressed both hands to the door and pushed harder. The force of her exertion nearly broke the door off of its hinges. She gasped loudly, falling through the entryway and onto the hardwood floor. A cloud of dust flew up around her. She coughed, her lungs screaming at the intrusion of foreign particles. Clear liquid filled her vision as her eyes leaked a dozen tears. In the back of her mind, she remembered her histology professor explaining how mast cells have an important role with allergies. It was a random thought, but it swirled around in her brain nonetheless.

Pushing herself up from the floor, she wiped away the dust and grime that stuck to her clothes. It was dark in the old mansion. Shadows seemed to permanently reside there as the abundant foliage had blocked out any hope of the sun's rays. White sheets cloaked the majority of the furniture in the rooms on either side of her. She looked up curiously at the sloping staircase before her, positioned in front of the main door. Cobwebs climbed the railings and spun their own take of the home's history through the spindles that supported them.

To Bella's left, between the staircase and a small room, was a hallway. A mirror, its glass cracked and stained, hung from the wall. Next to it was an old portrait of a figure from what appeared to be the Colonial era, though as Bella moved closer to it, she realized part of the canvas was shredded, disposing of the original work. An antique floral pattern decorated the walls, its paper worn and tarnished from years of disregard. It faded away with the soul of the once thriving household in which Bella now stood.

Once again, her gaze shifted to the stairwell. The figure she thought she had seen moments ago had been in an upper-story window. She had to figure out if someone else was there with her.

As she moved to the stairs, her hand poised above the banister, she heard a quiet, lilting sound in the distance. Tones blended together, creating a harmony to her ears. Against her better judgment, Bella chose to follow the mysterious sound. It led her down the hallway with the torn portrait and the cracked mirror. Soft notes filled the air, delicate and haunting in their voice. Chords and progressions flowed through her body, limb from limb, drawing her in further into the heart of the mansion. In the back of her mind, she thought of a predator luring its prey. The song that filled the stagnant air was so lovely, that she could hardly ignore it.

Soon, the hallway came to an end. A door, half covered by a draping tapestry, was left slightly ajar. Slowly, she opened it, allowing herself the sight of the room before her. It was large, with books littering the walls – a library. Like the others, the furniture was also covered with white sheets, though one piece remained naked in the fragility of its quarters. It was a piano, and as soon as Bella had entered the room, the music she had been so intrigued with had ceased to exist. A blanket sat next to the legs of the piano, crumpled up on the floor as if someone had recently uncovered it to divulge in its hidden talents.

She stepped further in, curious to find that there was no one sitting at the piano. Glancing around the room, she searched for the person who created such a wonderful lullaby of song.

But there was no one.

Just her.

Just Bella.

Walking around the musical instrument, she longed to touch the stained keys and hear the song that her heart suddenly missed. As her fingers reached out to stroke porcelain notes, a low growl emanated from behind her.

Startled, Bella turned around, backing into the piano keys. An off-pitch cadence of sharps echoed throughout the room. She pushed herself away from the piano suddenly and exited the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

The valves in her heart worked overtime, pushing blood out and sucking it back in. She felt her pulse in her ears. She even felt it in her throat, stuttering and stumbling over its natural beat. As she ran down the hallway, she nearly stumbled over a tethered floor rug. Her hand reached out blindly to brace herself against the wall. It was in that moment that she found herself face to face with the cracked mirror. In the darkness she saw something… _someone_… looking back at her from the other side of the staircase. Sheer terror claimed her nerves and she felt the adrenaline course through her once more, pushing her to escape.

Another growl trailed after her and she screamed, running frantically to the front door. She tore through the broken entrance, slicing the skin of her hand on the splintered wood in the process. Her legs shook as she stumbled down the front steps, the dead ivy doing its best to claim her for its own.

The jingle of her keys that she fumbled in her hands rang loud in her ears as she jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine. She barely got her door shut before she pulled away from the home and sped down the muddied road. The snow had begun to fall harder, as if it too were attempting to trap her in this isolated area that seemed to beckon her fate. For a brief moment, she thought that she wouldn't make it out.  
But soon, the highway was before her and her tires squealed in relief to be rolling over the familiar road once more.

Her lungs protested as her chest heaved up and down with exertion. Her eyes stung blood red and hot tears streamed down her face, though this time they were not the product of allergies. A strangled sob bubbled up her throat and she cried out at what she had just witnessed. Her destination was to find the truth, and find it she did. She knew exactly who made those horrid sounds in the darkness. She knew who killed the deer before her, as if in warning. She knew whose eyes stared back at her through the broken mirror.

It was Edward.

* * *

_**Reviews are better than cracked mirrors.**_


	13. Ch 12: Come Find Me

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **Again, thank you to my beta **twi-ction**. She is truly a lifesaver! I hope you all enjoy the update.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Come Find Me**

The lights were off in her room as she stood in the doorway, her door wide open in invitation. Her eyes were weary and dry. Stains of tears clung to the skin of her cheeks. She fixed her gaze on the wooden floor, empty.

Behind her, the artificial florescent light from the hallway spilled into the room. It cast a forlorn version of her shadow onto the floor, one that stretched upward until it bled into the remaining darkness of the room.

Slowly, Bella walked inside, her arms hung heavily at her sides. With a slight twitch of her fingers, the door softly closed shut.

Darkness enveloped the room once more.

She didn't care. She couldn't be afraid anymore. Her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest and stomped on. The pain she felt behind her sternum was unlike anything she had experienced before.

If anything, Edward had been a friend to her. She had never let someone in to her life so closely before. Bella thought bitterly about her past and a grim smile took form across her lips. Wasn't it fitting that the one person she trusted was, in fact, her enemy? She didn't have to try to justify whom she had seen in the Forks mansion. It wasn't a figment of her imagination. Edward was staring back at her in the mirror just as plainly as if he were right in front of her.

Idly, the neurons in her brain fired off signals that initiated memories of the time she had known Edward, which wasn't for very long at all. She stood in the middle of her room, remembering little details of the person she once confided in. He hadn't ever eaten anything around her. His skin was always freezing to the touch. He moved quickly and gracefully, unlike any human she had seen before. She remembered the way he growled the day he had sensed an impostor in her room. She remembered the way his eyes changed from sunny amber to midnight black. Though, she was used to the ruby eyes of her enemies, there was no denying what he was.

Edward was a vampire.

Strangely enough, as she thought back to earlier that day, she didn't feel threatened by him in the mansion. Sure, the growling had frightened her, but she didn't feel as if he actually was there to hurt her. It was almost as if he was _trying_ to scare her away. It was like he didn't want her there for her own protection. Had it been another vampire, she was sure she wouldn't be standing in her dorm room this very moment.

The grin that hung on her lips had faded away. Quietly, Bella moved to her bed, a lone candle bursting into flame as she passed by. She let her body collapse onto the mattress and her eyes slip shut. And as her mind began to drift away and the muscles in her body began to relax, she prayed and wished that she had never met Edward at all.

_She was standing underneath a tree in the middle of a field. The sun was warm as it flowed through the branches and leaves high above, bathing her with its peace and light. _

_Clouds threatened to pass over the golden daylight and so she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, allowing the soothing air to encompass her completely. When the shadows overtook the sky, she opened her eyes._

_Quiet laughter echoed behind her. The noise was so hypnotic, that she found herself turning to the source of the joyful sound. _

_Two girls – one with brown hair, the other with black – ran through the field of tall grass and wild flowers, heading toward the tree. They were dressed in clothing that belonged in a much different time than the one that she was used to. _

_As Bella squinted her eyes in an attempt to see the girls more clearly, she realized that she knew these people quite well. _

_The girl with black hair ran ahead of her friend. Her smile was wide and contagious. "Come, Isabella! Thou must see this!" _

_Bella's lips parted in awe as she watched herself laugh and chase after Mary Alice, her dear friend. _

"_Not so fast, Alice!" Isabella called. _

_Mary Alice reached the trunk of the tree and smiled at her friend. She was standing right next to Bella, so close that she could reach out and touch her. Bella's fingers ached to do just that, but this was a dream. Deep down in her heart, she knew that it wasn't real. But she watched her memories unfold in vivid clarity before her with a smile spreading across her face. _

_Isabella finally reached the tree, slightly out of breath. "What is it that is so important?" she gasped, bracing herself against the rough bark of the tree. _

_Mary Alice grinned delightedly. Her tawny eyes sparkled in that way that only hers could when she was up to something. "Watch," she murmured. _

_Placing her hand against the tree trunk, Mary Alice closed her eyes. Isabella, both past and present, watched her for a moment, wondering what they would see. However, the present Bella knew exactly what to look for. This was one of her favorite memories._

_Buds on the end of each limb began to form. Isabella gasped as various shades of the richest pinks and brightest reds littered the branches above them. In a matter of seconds, Mary Alice had grown several dozens of apples. _

"_Impossible," Isabella breathed. _

_She gasped when one fell from a branch and landed on her head. "Ouch!" _

_Mary Alice laughed, her voice almost enchanting. "Not impossible, Izzy." _

_Isabella smiled and bent over to pick up the crimson fruit. "Tis incredible, Alice. Absolutely wonderful." _

_She looked up at her friend in amazement. Mary Alice reached up to pluck an apple from its branch and began to toss it playfully between her hands. She giggled and turned her gaze to the woods off in the distance. Her smile faltered. _

_Isabella turned around, following her gaze. _

_There at the edge of the woods, was a man._

"_Who is that?" Isabella questioned._

_Bella took a step away from the tree, her heart suddenly thundering in her chest. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. _

_In the background, she heard herself ask the same question to Mary Alice again. "Alice, who is that?" _

_The wind picked up strands of her hair, as Bella stood several feet away from the tree, her lips forming one word. "Edward." _

"_He's nobody, Izzy. Just a townsperson," Mary Alice murmured. And as Bella turned around to watch the retreating girls run back through the field, she saw Mary Alice turn to the man in the woods, and nod._

_Suddenly, Bella was no longer in the field, but instead standing amongst a crowd of people. The sun was hot overhead and its light drifted in and out of the passing clouds. People were shouting all around her and she pushed her way through the chaos until she was in the back of the crowd. _

_It didn't take long to spot herself standing alone, adjusting her clothes. Goodman James was speaking to her._

"_Miss Swan," he said. _

_Isabella nodded curtly._

_Bella knew what day this was. It was the day that Mary Alice was hung. She watched herself turn toward a few people standing amongst the trees._

"_Carlisle," Bella whispered, recognizing the man in the wide-brimmed hat. _

_Suddenly, the noise of the crowd grew and Bella could hear the squeaks of the wooden wheels carrying the cart of innocent women. She didn't want to look. Instead, she kept her gaze on the man she knew many years ago. His golden eyes slid to the left, as if watching something. _

_Bella looked at the people around him – an older woman balancing a child on her hip, a young man glancing down toward the ground as he quietly chewed on the end of a straw of wheat, an elderly man breathing in the warmth of tobacco from his pipe… _

_There was something familiar about one of those people._

_Bella turned her gaze back to the younger man. A hat hid the top of his head but he tilted his head upward and to the side, in the direction of Carlisle. Bella instantly recognized the structure of his jaw, the elongation of his neck, the elegant muscles that shaped his arms. _

"_It can't be," she whispered, unknowingly taking a step toward him._

_Carlisle nodded minutely and the young man straightened, looking up at the crowd before him. It was Edward._

_Bella felt the breath escape her all at once. _

_She watched as he quickly disposed of the wheat to the ground. He walked gracefully away from the crowd, and in minutes so did Carlisle. He was following Edward. _

"_What?" Bella found herself saying. She began to run toward them, but her world began to change. "No!" She cried out. "Please, wait!" _

_Now she was cast in total darkness. The air was cold and stagnant – it smelled of fresh decay. Bella turned at the sound of someone crying._

_There she was, kneeling before Mary Alice's jail cell. Mary Alice held out a piece of paper, her voice urgent as she spoke. "This man…" _

_Bella quickly walked over to her crouching form, and peered down at the drawing. The lines were fuzzy, casting the sketch into smudges and blurs. She couldn't make out whom the man was._

"_This man will save thee," Mary Alice whispered. _

Bella sat straight up in her bed, the sheets tangled around her legs. Her hand lifted to soothingly rub her throat, which felt tight from the sudden emotion that infiltrated her senses. Could it be true? Had Edward really been there from the beginning? And if so, why did it seem like Carlisle and Mary Alice knew him?

More memories invaded her mind. She began to see him in different places in different years throughout her life. She remembered him in a rally for the Boston Tea Party in 1773. He walked the streets of Charleston, passing out newspapers during the Civil War. He was a pianist in a jazz club in the 1920s, and a busboy in a 1950's diner. She remembered him sitting at a bar in the early nineties, quiet and alone, an untouched glass of scotch before him.

As she sat there, her blankets wrapped around her jeans that she wore the night before, she began to see him throughout her life, when she had not noticed him at all before. Edward had been with her… always.

She hadn't realized she was crying until the salty liquid slid into her mouth, hitting her tongue.

So, that was why she had felt such a strong connection to him – why she thought she knew him all this time.

Bella couldn't wait any longer to go back to Salem. Though she had a good guess as to the subject of Mary Alice's drawing, she still had to see it with her own eyes.

A sharp piercing ring sang throughout the room, making her jump. Bella turned to the phone by her bed and picked it up. Upon looking at the caller ID, she noticed that both the ID and the number read, "Unavailable." Frowning, she pressed the 'talk' button and held the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

Silence met her on the other line. She waited a moment and then whispered, "Edward?"

The caller immediately hung up.

Bella stared at the phone in her hand for a long time. She willed his voice to come through the speaker, but it never came. No power on Earth would bring the sound of his voice to her ears in that very moment.

Determination spread through her veins like wildfire. She replaced the phone and got up in search of clean clothes. After a shower, Bella would pack a few essentials and leave campus once again. This time, however, she would be leaving the state of Washington and flying back to her home – her _real_ home.

Nothing had terrified her more.

She left a note for Angela and Jessica before she left and hoped that she would be back in a few days to see them again. And as she closed her door behind her, her duffel bag hanging from her shoulder, she breathed in deeply and prayed that she was doing the right thing.

* * *

As she walked to her terminal in Spokane International Airport, Bella grasped her ticket tightly. It would take time to get back to Salem, but time was what she needed.

She felt a sense of anticipation bubble beneath her skin's surface as she waited in line to board her flight. While waiting, she watched the people passing by her, the planes landing and taking off. When she turned to look ahead of her so that she could move up in the line, she noticed a man several people in front of her. His hair was the strangest shade of bronze.

Her heart stuttered, stopped, and restarted again.

She watched the man hand his ticket to the passenger handler. The woman, a young blonde, stared at him for long amount of time. If Bella was being honest with herself, the blonde appeared to be… dazzled. She finally handed his ticket back and smiled, allowing him access to board the plane.

Bella stepped to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of him before he disappeared from her sight. But through the crowd of people she could no longer see him.

Even when she boarded the plane, she found herself searching the passengers for a familiar face. But he wasn't there. Frowning, she put her bag in the baggage compartment above her and took her seat.

Little did she know, that Edward was there, sitting about ten rows behind her. He sat next to the window; his gaze ever fixed on the top her head. Because wherever Isabella Swan would go, he would follow her. Always.

* * *

A couple of flight exchanges and several hours later, Bella found herself in a taxi taking her into the town of Salem, Massachusetts.

She traveled through the streets of downtown, past restaurants and shops, past Colonial-style homes and bed and breakfasts, past the Salem Witch Museum and stores with wooden cutouts in the shape of a witch on a broom. Bella laughed quietly and shook her head at the paraphernalia.

This was her home. It was different and had changed drastically over the years, but she could still pick out where the homes of her friends and neighbors used to be. She could imagine the cobblestone and dirt pathways instead of the asphalt beneath the car's tires. Closing her eyes, she let herself just be.

The driver dropped her off at a small inn and she checked herself in quickly so that she could deposit her things and be on her way to the ruins of her home. Her room was on the second floor and as she used the key to unlock the door, another door down the hall opened, catching her attention. A man had just walked through the doorway, the ghost of bronze hair a mere glimpse to her eyes before he shut the door.

Her duffel bag fell to the floor haphazardly and Bella stood there, wondering whether or not she should go knock on his door. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she marched over to his room and raised her fist to rap against the wood. But then she stopped herself. What if it wasn't him? What if it was her imagination overreacting? Before she had time to truly consider what she was about to do, the innkeeper, a middle-aged woman with jet-black hair, came up the stairs.

"Honey, I think you've got the wrong room," she said with a laugh.

Bella's cheeks pinked and she quickly walked back to her bag on the floor. "Right, uh… long flight. I think I just need to take a nap… set my mind straight."

God, she was a terrible rambler.

The older woman smiled and told her to call if she needed anything.

Once in the room, she shut her eyes and slid down to the floor, her back against the door.

The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in the colors of twilight. She couldn't wait to go back to her home tomorrow. She needed to go tonight, preferably before she had no more natural light left.

Finally, she stood and began to unpack her things. She grabbed a few items from her herb collection that she used in certain spells, just in case she needed them. With her jacket and gloves on, and the select items stuffed in her pockets, she left her room and exited the inn quickly.

The wind bit at her exposed skin as she walked down the sidewalks of downtown. It was cold in Salem, but to Bella's relief it wasn't snowing. She took a bus to get to the outskirts of town, where she began her trek along a nature trail that snaked through the woods. This was a protected area, so if anyone even noticed the dilapidated building that was once her home, they never saw fit to tear it down.

For several minutes she walked. And with each step she took, so did the sun as it made its descent below the horizon, welcoming the moon.

Finally, she found it.

The walls of the home before her were mostly made of stone, which partly kept it upright over all this time. Though, the windows were crooked and the wooden frames surrounding the broken glass were rotted and molding. It probably wasn't even safe for her to go inside. Not only was the foundation not solid, there could be a number of wild animals now residing there. Regardless, she had to try to get in there. She had to find that drawing.

Slowly, she stepped up to the deteriorating door and tentatively pulled the rusted doorknob open. Parts of wood crumbled to her feet with the movement and she cringed. She should have collected her things when she left and had this place torn down years ago.

Cautiously, she stepped inside. Holes the size of small end tables ate through the wood of the floor. Gulping, Bella did her best to step around them and up the small staircase that led to her bedroom. Each step was timid as she ascended the stairs, silently praying that she wouldn't fall through.

Shadows claimed everything in the home. She didn't even feel like this place had belonged to her anymore. It was the subject of most of her nightmares and she dreaded being back here with every step she took.

Her bedroom was the only room in the upstairs as her father slept in his own room on the first floor. Growing up, Bella enjoyed having the second floor to her own, it wasn't big, but it still felt private and separate from everything else.

As she entered the room, she froze, glancing around at the evidence of her past. Everything here was broken or rotting away. It felt foreign to her somehow. It was a whole new world entirely.

The air was thick. It smelled of must mixed with the particles of mildew that sours each breath.

The intricate spun web glistened beneath the moonlight as its thin, sticky strands fluttered in the light breeze. It hung in the corner of the small bedroom, decorating the shattered opening in the window.

She felt her heart jump as a beetle scurried past her foot, burying itself inside a hole in the splintering floor. The boards creaked beneath her muddy shoes, giving way to her weight as she snuck quietly into the abandoned room. She kneeled down before a small chest of three drawers, its walnut frame chipped and burrowed in by insects.

"It has to be here," she muttered to herself, pulling a drawer open and rifling through faded silk scarves, her fingers dislodging little mothballs in her quest.

When her nails began to scrape against bare wood, she knew she had hit the bottom of the drawer. Sighing in frustration, she held her head in her hands, feeling her heart splutter within her chest. Anxiety and fear seemed to wrap around her tightly, cocooning her petite frame.

That's when she saw it – a snag in the woodwork just at the bottom of the dovetail joint. Quickly, she stuck the tips of her fingers inside the crevice and pulled. Molded cloth and dust flew up around her as she lifted the flat slab of fractured wood out of the bottom of the drawer. Setting the slab aside and picking up a stray tattered scarf, she looked inside the antique crate where tea-stained papers and rust-tinged trinkets met her sight. Her small fingers gingerly leafed through the items – an old deed, a torn ragdoll, several cards that resembled recipes. Finally, she found the sole parchment she had come all this way for. The soft, gray pencil markings were almost completely faded into the bruised, fragile paper but Bella knew what those markings used to define. This was the sketch Mary Alice had made a week before her death – "a record of her vision" as she called it then.

Her hands shook as her eyes drank in the curves of the pencil, outlining the sketch of a young man – his cheekbones high, his long hair tied back, the slender lines of his neck.

She knew this man. She saw him everyday.

But this was no ordinary man.

A creak echoed from downstairs, startling her. Ice froze her nerves as she listened, hearing only the pulsing sound of her erratic heart. Wisps of her hair, as dark as chocolate, fluttered past her forehead as a slight breeze swept into the room. Her hands trembled, threatening to lose the crucial sketch as the paper wrinkled within her grasp. A mirror, cracked and tarnished, hung lopsided on the far wall. Her gaze instantly focused on it as waves of electricity shot down from the top of her head, flowing over her chest and limbs. Fear had proudly constricted the beating organ within her chest.

Glowing, golden eyes reflected back through the stained glass, staring at her delicate form within the shadows.

The drawing slipped through her fingers.

She held her breath… and waited.

He didn't speak initially. His eyes locked on hers in the darkness from a corner in the room.

Swallowing thickly, Bella stood from her crouched position on the floor, keeping her gaze on the mirror. The longer she stared into his eyes, the more the fear seemed to seep away from her limbs. She felt an irrational amount of emotion claim her heart in that moment, and she frowned, overcome with sadness.

"Why did you not tell me? Edward, why didn't you tell me you had been with me my whole life?" Tears echoed in her voice and she glanced down. She had no idea if he was there to kill her or just to haunt her, to torment her soul.

She suddenly felt the presence of someone behind her, mere centimeters away from her. His voice lingered close to her ear. "I've wanted to for so long," he whispered. "But I wasn't able to. So I watched you from afar, to keep you safe. You don't know how long I've loved you, Isabella."

Everything seemed to disappear in that moment. Her breathing was barely a whisper; her heart slowed its pace within her chest. She turned around to face him.

The beautiful features of his face were drawn in great sadness and guilt. If vampires could cry – and she didn't know if they could – he seemed as if he was about to. He tentatively reached a hand up to caress the side of her face, but she shook her head and took a step back. Disappointment overcame him, but he didn't move to her. He let his hand fall to his side in defeat.

"Will you tell me the truth?" she asked, her voice not sounding her own.

He looked up at her, and she saw something in his eyes that spoke volumes to her heart. "Everything."

* * *

**_Dun dun dun... _**


	14. Ch 13: Friend or Foe

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **I know it's been forever since the last update, but you'll be happy to know that this is the longest update yet! It may not answer all of your questions, but I hope it answers most of them. As always, big thanks goes out to my beta, **twi-ction**. She's definitely the Beta Queen.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Friend or Foe**

The moonlight cascaded through the broken window, casting shadows that danced along the floor. She sat in the dirt, next to the old dresser, lightly fingering Mary Alice's drawing in her hands. Occasionally, she would glance in his direction, wondering if this was all some very strange dream.

Edward sat opposite her, against a wall. The chipped frame of her old bed sat mere inches from his legs. Cobwebs clung to the furniture, like dry, peeling skin. He watched, silent, as they billowed in the light breeze.

For a while, nothing was said.

Releasing the drawing to the floor, Bella pulled the collar of her jacket around her neck more tightly as her body began to shiver. "Say something," she murmured.

His voice was soft, melodic, as he spoke. "Where do you want me to start?"

Millions of questions raced through her mind as she tried to pick out just one to begin his story. "You're a vampire… aren't you?"

A beat of silence passed, emphasizing the seriousness of her question. Finally, Edward sighed and Bella could make out the defeated posture that cloaked his form. "Yes," he whispered, barely audible to her ears. "I am."

It was as if frost had crystallized the nerves within her spine. She wasn't afraid of him, but to have her suspicions confirmed rattled her, to say the least. "How…" she paused, wondering how to phrase her next question. "How long?"

"I was created before you were even born, Isabella."

Bella's eyes grew wide in shock. "You're older than me?" She'd never met anyone older than her before, because really, she never thought she would.

"Don't be so surprised," he chuckled softly. "You've been around more immortals than you realize."

Flashes of a vicious red gaze haunted her memory and Bella cringed. "But your eyes… they aren't red. I've seen other vampires before and I know that they have red eyes."

Edward let his head lean back against the wall, the pale skin of his throat exposed in the moonlight. "It's because they feed off of humans. There are others out there – like me – who choose to not end human life. Instead, we hunt animals."

The memory of the injured deer flashed through her mind.

"I had been hunting when you came to Forks. Usually, I don't let my prey suffer the way that deer had and I'm sorry that you were there to witness it. But the moment your scent hit the atmosphere, I lost all train of thought."

He sighed heavily, grimacing at the memories that assailed his mind as well. "In any case, animal blood turns our eyes a golden hue. That's why we look different from the others."

Bella felt her heart momentarily stop within her chest. Whose eyes had Edward's always reminded her of? _"You've been around more immortals than you realize,"_ he had said. Her breathing began to increase in short, hitched gasps.

_Alice. _

_Carlisle._

"I see you're catching on," he muttered, listening to the organ in her chest beat erratically.

She glanced up at him, and he was surprised to see pain glittering in her eyes. "Tell me the truth," she choked out. "All of it."

The house groaned with the blowing wind outside, creating an eerie melody that lingered within the shadows.

Hesitation lay deep within every line and curve of Edward's face, but he could not refuse her.

"Vampires, like humans, have rules to abide by. If a human steps out of line, there is someone there to right the situation. If a vampire steps out of line, then we too, have someone who will come to right the situation. Our actions are governed by three very powerful vampires – Aro, Marcus and Caius. They're called the Volturi. They have many guards who work for them, as your government has many law enforcement organizations that work for them."

"I work for the Volturi," he admitted, his voice sounding stretched and thin. "For hundreds of years I've been a servant to them. So has my family."

Bella sat quietly, listening intently to his story as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"One of the things you have to understand, Isabella, is that many of our kind have special abilities. I, for one, can read people's minds… except for yours."

Bella lifted her head, curious. "What do you mean, except for mine?"

"Your thoughts are silent to me," he whispered. "They've always been."

"I don't understand."

A grin curved the corners of his lips. "Nor do I."

Frowning, Bella shifted her gaze to the floor, contemplating this new piece of information.

Edward continued on. "The Volturi collect vampires with these special talents. That's what makes them as strong and powerful as they are. The three of them together aren't really much of a match. It's their followers that give them strength."

"So you're a follower?" she countered.

The coldness that masked Edward's eyes as he leveled his gaze with hers was not easily missed. "Not by choice."

He sighed heavily, seeming reluctant to finish his story.

"In 1691, one of our guards was sent to Salem, Massachusetts. She has the gift of foresight and insisted to Aro that she had to be in Salem. Being that she is one of his favorites, he let her go without question. That is where she met you."

The air all but left her lungs and the familiar sting of tears pricked behind her eyes. "What?"

"Mary Alice was not in your life for very long, was she?" he asked her.

Bella opened her mouth to contradict him, but the words fell short. While she felt as though she had known her best friend all her life, Bella had met Mary Alice only a year before her death. And in all of her memories, Mary Alice had either been at Bella's home or they met somewhere else. Never once, had Bella stepped foot in Mary Alice's home, or seen anyone in her family. Any time the idea was suggested, Mary Alice would make up some excuse to keep Bella away. Afraid of losing her friendship, Bella never pushed the subject. And as she thought harder, she realized that Carlisle joined the community around the same time that Mary Alice did.

"But…" she muttered, her voice suddenly hoarse. "Vampires can't come out in the daylight." She began shaking her head in denial. "Right? There has to be some mistake."

"Myths are exactly that," Edward responded. "You know that as well as I. We attract more attention in the sun, yes, but it does not hurt us as the legends say."

The corners of her lips curved down and she felt her chin tremble as tears slid from her eyes.

"Think about it, Bella," he whispered gently. She hadn't noticed that he was now kneeling directly before her. "When you were with Mary Alice, was she ever in direct sunlight?"

She thought back to every sunny day that she spent with her friend. Mary Alice would keep to the shadows, or under a tree… near the wall of a house… Not once had Bella seen her friend step out into the sun.

A keening sound reverberated from the back of her throat and her fingers dug into the coarse material of her jeans as she hugged her knees tight against her chest.

Edward reached out to touch her, his hand hesitating in midair before finally dropping back to his side. "Mary Alice is my sister, Bella."

She shook her head.

"She is. She was the one who helped me find you."

"No!" Bella gasped aloud. "I saw her! I saw her die, Edward. I was there. I was there…"

She broke down, sobs raking through her small form, snaking through her limbs. All these years, she had believed a lie. The despair weighed her down so heavily, that she felt herself unfold and lean toward him. Edward scooped her up into his arms, holding her as if his life depended on it.

"I'm sorry," he breathed in her ear, his fingers gently combing through the tangles of her hair. "I'm so sorry… for everything."

"Alice didn't want to endanger you," he continued. "She felt that if she left your life when she did, that you would be safer."

"But why did she come?" Bella cried. "Why did she step into my life, only to leave? Why did she leave me like _this_!" she yelled through the tears, pulling away from Edward but not enough to fully leave his embrace. As she did, the remaining glass in the windows shattered around them in a deafening sound, the broken shards mirroring the state of her soul. "Why did she do this to me?"

Edward seemed stunned. So pained was the look on her face, that he felt his dead heart crumble ever so slowly within his chest. "She came to you to protect you," he whispered, watching her retreat into herself, her frail body trembling beneath his touch.

"Alice saw what would happen in your future," Edward murmured, slowly rocking her crumpled form back and forth. "Aro trusts her with his life, though his sister had her speculations. Didyme was a beautiful being. She had the power to make those around her incredibly happy. Everyone loved her. But even with her talents, she could be just as deadly. Her curiosity of Alice's leaving grew inside her mind."

"One night, she left Volterra and traveled to Salem. She wanted to spy on Alice – to see what she was up to. Even though Carlisle was sent to watch over Alice, it didn't matter. He was and is the most trusted of us all."

A slight gasp escaped Bella's lips and Edward stilled his rhythmic solace. "Yes, Carlisle works for the Volturi as well. He is our father, at least in the figurative sense. None of us are really blood-related, but we have adopted each other as a family."

All words seemed to have left her in that moment. Without a proper response, she let her body collapse against his once more, urging him to continue.

"Didyme had to see for herself what was going on. To her eyes, Alice had merely made a human friend and in doing so, she was risking the exposure of our world. Didyme felt it necessary to end your life."

Bella shuddered violently as her hands clung to the material of his shirt. She closed her eyes and saw the vision of she and Jacob running frantically through the woods.

"She was the one who killed Jacob," Edward admitted quietly. "And she would have killed you too, if…" He paused, unable to continue.

Slowly, Bella pulled back to look up into his golden eyes. Her memories took her back to that fateful night, and she remembered running for her life after seeing her love dangling, inanimate, from a tree.

"_God help me," she whimpered, pushing away another low-lying branch. _

_Cold breath could suddenly be felt on the back of her neck and Isabella's heart lurched within her chest as a sadistic voice whispered in her ear, "God has nothing to do with it." _

_In that moment, she thought that this would be the end of her life. She thought she would be ripped to shreds like Jacob. But as a gust of wind blew past her and she spun around, there was no one. The fear was far too great as it clenched around Isabella's heart, and her mind succumbed to the numbing darkness as her body collapsed to the ground. _

_Though in an unconscious state, sounds and feelings seemed to drift through her mind. It was as if her brain was trying to fight against the pressure weighing down so heavily upon it. She felt something cold pressed gently against her. Whether it was on her arm or her face, she couldn't tell. A voice, melodic in its syllables, echoed in the distance. It was soothing and calm – a contrast to the spectral voice from earlier. Again, she couldn't tell whom the voice belonged to. It wasn't one she recognized. But soon, the nerve endings in her brain seemed to give up in their fight. No sensation appeared to accost her until much later in the night when another, different, voice awakened her mind. _

At the time, she had felt as if Carlisle had been the one to rescue her, but he had not. Mary Alice had even confirmed to her that someone else would be the one to protect her that night – the man in the drawing.

"It was you," she whimpered, her voice trembling. "You saved me from her. You…"

"I couldn't let you die," he gasped, overcome by his own emotion. "The moment I saw Alice's vision of you, feelings that I had never felt before, overcame me. For years, I've been alone, content with just being on my own. I had my family, yes, but it was never the same. I always longed to love someone and be loved in return. I knew then, when Alice made the decision to leave, that I had to follow. I had to see you."

"You had to see me?" she whispered.

A throaty chuckle left him, intermingling with the stagnant air. "Vampires are selfish creatures, Isabella. I am certainly not an exception to that rule."

Deep lines etched their way into Bella's forehead as she contemplated his words. "You keep saying that Alice had visions of me. What did she see?"

A grin briefly kissed Edward's lips as he answered her. "She had a vision of herself teaching you magic. You were making roses grow up out of the Earth." The grin faded as soon as it had come. "After that, there were more visions of you. Terrible things…"

"Why didn't you tell me any of this earlier? Why didn't you come to me back then?" she accused, still feeling the tinge of betrayal.

Edward sighed, letting his head hang low. "I wanted to. But I was a coward. I stayed off in the shadows, watching you from afar. I had only meant to see you once, thinking that it would be enough. But once I heard your laughter, once I saw your smiles, I couldn't go back. The light and peace radiated off of you, Isabella. I had never seen someone so truly beautiful. You made my dead heart come back to life. I knew from that point on, that I would protect you, no matter the cost. I was afraid that if I got involved with you too soon, that it would surely end your life. So, I stayed away – until now."

"I'm so sorry that I was not there in time to save Jacob. He was a good man and he loved you very much. No matter what I did, it was already set in stone that Jacob would die – one way or another. But in Alice's visions, your life could have gone either way the moment that Didyme came after you. I got to you just in time. Didyme died at my hands, and though she was one of the few I could tolerate to be around, I wouldn't take any of it back. I loved you too much, to ever let something happen to you."

"All these years," she wept, feeling fresh tears cascade down her cheeks. "All these years I've been so alone." Bella shut her eyes, not wanting to think about his declaration of love or the pain she had felt for so long. Her life didn't feel like her own anymore. It had been planned by those around her. She felt like a puppet, waiting from someone to pull the strings.

"Why… Why have I been chased all my life?" Bella questioned. "I did nothing wrong."

"No. No you didn't," Edward promised her, his thumbs lightly brushing away her tears. "It was my fault they have been after you."

Bella leaned into his touch, though she felt guilty for doing so. There were too many emotions running through her in that very moment. Her loneliness could have been spared if he had only told her the truth when he was given the first chance. Her life wouldn't have been her only curse had Alice not been involved. Without them, maybe she would have lived and died peacefully. Maybe she would have married Jacob and mothered his children. They would have grown old together and watched their children grow old. Those had been her dreams once, and they had been violently ripped away.

But if Alice had never walked into her life, she would have never known her one and only true friend. Though she resented Carlisle for Alice's death, she still considered him an important figure in her life and she would have never known him otherwise. Most importantly, she would have never met Edward all these years later. Would she have regretted it? Would she have regretted not knowing any of them at all?

As she felt the coolness of Edward's skin against her own, the tender embrace he bestowed upon her, the love he held out so openly to her, she couldn't help but want those things too. And there was her answer.

Yes, she would have regretted everything.

"You see," Edward murmured, his voice hinting of a more serious tone. "Didyme was Marcus' wife. Being that she was also Aro's sister, our leaders were in a great state of turmoil. I returned back to Volterra soon after her death to deliver the news."

Bella opened her eyes, watching him intently as he lowered his hands from her face. Instantly, she missed his touch.

"Like myself, Aro has the gift of reading other's minds, but only with the sense of touch. I knew that I would be destroyed on the spot, and I was ready for that. But, for some reason, parts of my thoughts were blocked from him. The snippets of what he did see told a completely different story. To him, Didyme died and the only other figure he was able to see was you."

"He's been after you for years so you could explain what happened. He believes that in some way, you are the one responsible for her death. So, Alice concocted a story – one of the greatest and truest lies – to save you."

Edward gently moved away from Bella so that he could stand. He quietly walked over to one of the windows, the chilling winter air washing over his face as he looked out into the darkness. Bella watched, dazed, as the moonlight glistened off of his porcelain skin.

"First," he began. "Alice created an elixir that would prolong your life – the tonic she gave you the night of her arrest. Not only would the elixir allow you to live as an immortal, but it strengthened your powers as well. Alice knew that if the Volturi came after you, this would be the only way to protect you."

"Second, she faked her death. Carlisle helped her stage it when he purposefully led some of the townspeople into the field that day. We all agreed that the sooner we got back to Volterra and out of your life, the better it would be for you. Besides, some of the folks in town were growing suspicious of you and Alice. Handing herself over as a witch would deter some of the attention from you. After the hanging, the three of us left. Aro insisted on sending search parties for you and each time, either Alice or Carlisle led the party. And each time, you were spared."

Bella picked up the tattered drawing from the floor and memorized the lines of his face as her eyes swept over the faded charcoal sketch. "But you never went with them?"

"I went on my own," he whispered, his voice barely audible to her ears. "I didn't go often, in fear of attracting too much attention. No one, except Alice, knew that I went to see you." He turned to look at her and for a moment she found herself lost in his gaze.

"After several years went by, Aro believed that you had died. It wasn't until he had seen a glimpse of you in Alice's thoughts much later that he realized you were still out there. To this day, he still hasn't figured out how you've lived this long."

"Caius, the more brutal of the three, grew tired of Alice and Carlisle turning up empty-handed. He wanted to send out our most ruthless guards to take you down. It didn't matter to him how or why you were alive for as long as you've been, or how Didyme could have possibly died by your hands. He wanted blood. He wanted death. Destruction. That's what he always wants." Edward spoke about Caius through gritted teeth, the muscles in his jaw contracting sharply with anger. "My family is with the Volturi, because at the time, we had nowhere else to go. That doesn't mean that we share their same ideals, however."

"In any case, I offered to go after you. Alone. Aro and Marcus agreed; Caius did not. Because I am so close to Alice and Carlisle, he didn't trust me. No sooner than I had arrived to the University, did I notice trails of one of his spies."

Recognition dawned across Bella's face and she looked up to him in alarm. "You mean all of those attacks? Those were from a member of the Volturi?"

Edward nodded. "The same can be said for the night I sensed someone in your room."

A vicious chill spread through her nerves like wildfire. She remembered all too well the fear she felt that night. Like a ghost, the memory of her bathroom door opening on its own, haunted her.

She shivered, though it wasn't from the cold.

"We don't have much time," he said suddenly, and turned to walk briskly toward her. He bent over, his hand wrapping around her forearm to pull her up.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, anxiety quickly coursing through her limbs. "You're going to take me to them?"

"No," Edward insisted, his voice almost a growl.

Bella watched, horrified, as Edward's demeanor seemed to instantly change. It was as if he had sensed something she could not – some unseen danger close by. His eyes grew darker with every second.

The harsh features of his face immediately smoothed the moment he realized her fear. "I'm not going to take you in," he told her more gently. "I would never do that to you, Isabella."

She frowned, unsure if she could trust him in that moment. "Then what is it that you're doing?"

"I'm going to help you escape."

Her heart stuttered in its beat. "What?"

Edward abruptly turned his attention to one of the windows and placed a cold finger against her lips, silencing her. He listened for a moment and then sighed. "The guard I came across… her name is Chelsea. She has the uncanny ability to bring relationships together and shatter them to pieces. In order to do that, she has to be able to sense a relationship between two people. The moment she saw me interact with you was the moment she realized the truth they all believed was a lie. I tried to stop her, but she was too fast. I have no doubt in my mind, that she's already gone back to Volterra. In fact, I'm fairly certain that we are no longer alone."

Her eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry?"

A shrieking cackle echoed through the woods in that moment, and Bella nearly fell to her knees in horror. Her nightmare – her past – it was all coming back.

Edward clutched her elbows, keeping her upright. "Bella? Bella, look at me."

Fresh tears fell from her eyes and her heart felt as if it were about to beat right out of her chest.

The piercing wail reverberated through the trees, changing in pitch with each direction it took, until it grew into an inhumane growl.

Bella jumped, her attention fully on the vampire before her. Edward was the one who had emitted the growl. The rows of his sharp teeth were bared as he stared toward one of the windows. His stance was rigid and all but overpowering her – protecting her. He turned back to her then, and motioned toward the door.

"Go!" he urged. "Bella, you have to go! Now!"

"But – "

"Run!"

Stumbling, the tread of her shoes catching on the drawing, ripping its tattered page in two, Bella clamored to the door of her room.

"I'll find you," he called after her.

Her strides faltered at the words that left his lips. She caught herself on the frame of the door, her gaze staring unseeingly into the darkness as memories assaulted her mind.

_A dull thud sounded behind them and Jacob cursed at her side. "The bullets fell." _

"_What?" Isabella questioned, frantic as he let go of her hand. _

"_The sack that held them fell. I have to go back there." _

"_No!" she cried, grabbing his arm to pull him in her direction. "Jacob, thou canst! Please!" _

"_We shant be unarmed!" he shouted, pulling away from her. "I will not leave them there. Go! Isabella, go!" _

_He grabbed her then, kissing her hard. "Run and do not look back. I will find you." _

Jacob had loved her then, enough to risk his own life. He loved her just as much as Edward loves her now. And here he was, risking his life for hers. She slowly turned around, watching as he stalked silently toward the window. Bella knew enough from her own research and experience to know that he wouldn't stand a chance if there were more than just one vampire against him. He would surely die, and so would she.

She could no longer dwell on the uncertainties. Edward loved her and she couldn't forget the way that she had felt when she first saw him. She couldn't forget her own magic telling her that he was her other half. He was the one that made her heart beat with clarity. He made her powers come alive. It didn't matter what had happened in the past. Everything he had done for her was to protect her, because of his love for her.

And Bella realized, that she loved him too. Vampire or not – every fiber of her being vibrated with the sensations that she felt for him.

Noticing her presence still there, Edward turned back to her sharply, his eyes pleading. "Go! Isabella, you _have_ to get out of here!"

There wasn't much time. She opened her mouth to speak, though her heart felt caught in her throat. "Edward," she gasped, and saying his name felt like she was saying it for the first time.

Without another thought, she ran to him, her body molding against his as he caught her within his solid arms. He felt like cold marble against her soft curves, but to Bella, it was perfect. How had she not noticed the differences in him before?

"Bella," he breathed, but his voice was silenced the moment her hands tangled in his hair and pulled his face down so that her lips could claim his. His lips were like ice against hers, recharging the nerves in her body. Their kiss was soft and bruising all at once. She let her feelings spill out of her in that moment, flowing into the embrace that he willingly gave her.

A growl permeated the air in the near distance, violently shattering their moment. Bella broke away from him, her breathing labored.

"Now, you really have to go," Edward insisted, his hands moving up to cup each side of her face.

She needed to tell him. She needed him to hear the words from her own lips.

But he shook his head, somehow knowing exactly what she wanted to say. "I know," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too."

A strangled sob escaped her before he pressed his mouth to hers once more. "Go Bella," he said, pushing her toward the door. A slight tremor carried through his voice and she loathed leaving him alone. "Please go."

Thuds shook the side of the home, the sound inching closer to the window. Edward crouched down, the muscles in his back so taut that Bella could almost make out the small fibers beneath his skin. Another thud sounded up the wall, and it was with a sickening realization that Bella understood the noises.

Something, or some_one_, was climbing up the side of the house.

Her heart sped violently, inducing a piercing ring that sounded in her ears. As she turned away from Edward, her hands reaching out to grasp the splintered railings of the stairwell, her foot fell through the rotten wood of the floor. Gasping, she bent over to clutch at her ankle in a desperate attempt to free herself.

She pulled once… twice. A shadow fell over her and Bella found herself glancing up as a sinister figure leapt through the window – its eyes like glowing embers in the dark. Immediate survival instincts kicked in, and on the third pull, she felt gravity take hold as her body fell back. She clutched onto the railing to keep upright and forced herself to run as fast as she could down the stairs, hoping beyond anything that they wouldn't give beneath her. The last thing she remembered seeing was Edward, arms spread open, fingers curled into claws, ready to attack the vampire who had just intruded into her room.

The nerves in her brain shot off signals of warning, causing the muscles in her legs to expand and contract at an unusually fast pace. As she burst through the front door, she felt as if her body were simply gliding through the air. The adrenaline that coursed through her was so powerful that she barely felt the sensation of her feet hitting the ground.

It was dark now. A thick fog rolled across the soil, snaking through the obsidian trees. An owl released its haunting song – a night's hymn that seeped into the particles of the air.

There was no sound from behind her, yet still she ran. She didn't dare to look back, but a feeling so gut wrenching tore at her soul. She couldn't just leave Edward to defend them both on his own.

Though Bella only displayed her powers in small ways, there was something that brewed deep inside her. Drawing from the right elements, she could create a magic that was both dark and powerful. It was something she never attempted in her life, but she knew she could do it. This was the power that Mary Alice had given her.

She suddenly veered off to the right, coming to an abrupt halt behind a large oak. Her lungs screamed in protest as her chest rose and fell heavily.

She waited… listening.

The owl continued its chant, but nothing else met her ears.

Quickly she dug into her coat pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag full of dried herbs. Her fingers shook and stumbled over the coarse items, but she soon found what she was looking for. The skin of her fingers scraped over the roughness of a cinnamon stick. Pocketing the bag, she closed her eyes, willing her body to focus on the spice within her hand. And then, she snapped the stick in two, letting the pieces fall to the ground.

"Incendia," she whispered.

Flames shot up from the ground where the cinnamon halves had landed. They spread in a thin line along the forest floor, weaving in and out of the tree trunks, their fire never igniting the ferns or logs nearby. As the fire increased in its pace, Bella turned to peer out from behind the tree. She could see her house in the distance and silently said goodbye to her past.

The flames grew in size the closer they got to the withered home. She could just hear the distant sound of growls and hisses from within its interior. And just as fast as the fire had been created, the house was immediately engulfed in flames.

Sharp, ear-splitting cries rang throughout the night. She closed her eyes, her brow knitting tightly together in concentration. The magic that coursed through her veins heightened her senses, allowing her the ability to see what was taking place within the old home.

The dark figure from earlier was crying out on the floor, flames licking at his skin, his body convulsing in pain. She could see his flesh singe and melt away from the bones. And then, she saw Edward step into view. He appeared shocked, confused even, at the sight before him. There was no place for him to go, but the flames didn't appear to touch him at all. As if to prove their point, persimmon flames licked at the sides of his shoes and instantly drew away. They congregated around the undead being writhing on the floor.

_Edward._

Startled, Edward darted his eyes around the room, instantly stepping out of the way of a falling timber from the ceiling. He had to get out.

_Edward. I'm here. Come find me. _

Very few times had Bella tried to communicate telepathically with someone before. She had no way of knowing if this would work, but she had to try.

"So you're the one," came a lilting voice from behind her.

A frightened scream escaped Bella's lips as she spun around, her focus instantly broken.

Before her, a woman stood. Her eyes were as red as the feathers of a cardinal. Her skin was the color of bone. The waves of her hair glistened, even in the dark, like stalks of golden wheat blowing in the breeze. She watched Bella curiously, her lips upturned in a deceitful grin.

"Well, well," she purred. "How wonderful it is to meet the _witch_."

Swallowing, Bella withdrew until her back met the rough bark of the tree. She didn't dare say a word.

"Yes, I've been keeping my eye on you." The blonde cocked her head to the side, the smile still set in place on her lips. "What's the matter, dear one? Cat got your tongue?"

"Please," Bella whimpered, tears seeping from the corners of her eyes.

"You know, I still don't understand how someone as _weak_ as yourself _murdered_ our precious Didyme," she hissed, her glistening crimson eyes raking up and down Bella's body. "Did you kill her with fire? Was that it?" Her gaze shifted quickly to the burning house in the distance. "Well, you don't seem to be conjuring any fire right now, do you?"

"Please," she repeated, the salt from her tears overwhelming as they leaked into the corners of her lips. "Don't hurt me."

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" the woman questioned, the curve of her smile becoming unnatural. "Oh wait, I'm a vampire. That's why."

She bared her teeth, the red in her irises darkening until they were almost black.

Bella closed her eyes and waited for her impending death, but a new voice broke the silence.

"Chelsea, be a good girl. There's no need for more bloodshed tonight."

Searching for the newfound tenor, Bella saw a man reveal himself from the shadows. His hair was also a golden tone, but much softer than the woman's before her. His features were sharp, his cheekbones high. Yet, there was a delicate quality about this man. Though his eyes also mirrored the same blood-like color as his accomplice, Bella felt no fear around him. In fact, she felt calm. Her breathing mellowed, her tears ceased, her heart rate slowed.

"Forgive my friend," he said to her, and she could have sworn she heard a faint southern accent in his voice. "My name is Jasper and this is Chelsea. We have come here to ask you a few questions. I am sorry that we have frightened you. It was not our intention."

Chelsea snorted, rolling her eyes. "It wasn't yours," she spat. She turned her gaze to Bella's, her eyes growing thirsty once more. "Though, it was definitely mine."

"Silence!" Jasper growled, making Bella jump as the fear slowly crept back into her veins. "We promised Aro that we would bring her back alive. We've already lost one of our own. Do _not _make me add another to that list."

A low growl resonated from Chelsea's chest, but she drew back, allowing Jasper to take the lead.

A calming wave instantly washed over her again, as she watched the male vampire step closer to her. "I will not harm you."

"That's a lie!"

Within seconds, Bella found herself being blocked from her attackers. Edward stood before her, hiding her from view. "If you so much as touch her – "

"Brother," Jasper reasoned, holding his hands up in surrender. "I would not dream it."

"I thought I could trust you," Edward hissed.

Though Bella couldn't see their faces, she could tell from the refrain in Jasper's voice that he meant what he said.

"You still can."

"Really?" Edward seethed. "If I could trust you, then why was I almost killed by a guard that you were with? If I could trust you, you would have fought by my side!"

"Edward," Jasper warned, his voice stern.

Bella tried to inch away from them, though the space between Edward and the tree was not much. As her foot moved over the rough contour of a root, she lost her balance. She felt her body push against Edward's as she fell to the ground, her hands stretched out to brace the impact. But as her knees hit the forest floor and her upper body fall forward, the palms of her hands landed onto something sharp. Stinging, searing pain pierced her skin. She whimpered, examining the structure she had stumbled upon. Vines of sharp thorns created a painful mattress that covered the ground beneath her. The hard stems bit at her skin, slicing their way through the soft, pliable flesh.

She lifted up her hands to her face, watching as thin trickles of blood streamed from multiple pinholes in her palms.

All had become eerily quiet.

Heart hammering against her sternum, Bella slowly looked up at the vampires before her. Three pairs of obsidian eyes glowered down at her. Though, Edward had no intention of hurting her, that didn't mean she could overlook who and what he was.

"Bella," he rasped out, his voice strained.

She looked into the eyes of Jasper and Chelsea. The muscles in their necks appeared stretched, as if they were trying to hold back the monsters that lingered deep within them. Chelsea's lips parted, exposing sharp rows of teeth. Her whole body began to quiver.

There was no time to think. The vines were the closest things to her. Bella grabbed a hold of one of the horned appendages, wincing as more blood was drawn from her body, and she willed her power to take hold. Suddenly, the vine grew in length; it slithered along the ground silently, creeping up onto its prey.

Jasper and Chelsea, too succumbed by the scent of her blood, hadn't noticed the vine split and edge up the sides of their legs.

Bella squeezed the vine harder, anger and fear mixing in with the overwhelming pain she now felt. As if on command, the vines wrapped around the vampires' legs tightly, their thorns piercing through the granite surface of their flesh. Jasper and Chelsea growled in agony, their hands grasping at the vines to release. The thorns only dug deeper into their skin with every moment they struggled.

It was the distraction that they needed.

Bella released the vine as soon as Edward reached down for her. He flung her onto his back, careful not to breathe in the scent of her blood as her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Hold on to me tightly," he muttered. "And close your eyes."

Doing as she was told, Bella wrapped her legs around his waist and settled her cheek against the back of his neck as she closed her eyes. Suddenly, the air whisked past her, fluttering the strands of her hair against the side of her face and forehead.

A feeling of hope spread throughout her fleetingly. Perhaps they both would make it out alive.

And just as quickly, the feeling disappeared the moment Bella felt herself being flung in midair. She heard Edward call out her name before her body smashed into the trunk of a tree.

An agonizing cry escaped her lips as tears streamed down her face. She had no doubt the ribs on her left side were cracked. It made each shuddering gasp she took that much more excruciating. However, she could not mistake the stench of the coppery scent of blood. Her hand still bled, but this was far more potent.

Her body crumpled on the forest floor, Bella strained her neck to the side to see her left arm. Part of the forelimb jutted out at an unnatural angle. Through a gash in the sleeves of her jacket and shirt, she could make out a deep indigo stain that grew across the surface of her skin. She tried to move her arm but the pain that surged through her nerves was unbearable. Her mouth opened, silently screaming.

She couldn't breath heavily, though she felt the strong urge to do so. The need to catch her breath was so powerful, yet the smell of her blood and the searing pain from her chest kept her breaths small and unfulfilling.

The chilling wind bit at her skin and she looked up, surprised to find herself alone. Confused, she looked around in the dark woods. Smoke rose high above the canopy and the smell of burning wood flitted beneath her nostrils. Using her right arm, she maneuvered herself so that she could glance behind at the burning remnants of her home.

Several minutes passed where the flames turned to smoke and the smoke turned to blackened ash. The fire had not touched the natural inhabitants of the forest, but only killed the tainted imprisonment of her past.

Slowly, she turned around.

Jasper's gleaming ebony eyes stared down at her. He appeared frozen, as if a statue. His broad chest didn't move, refusing to breath in the delicious aroma her blood so willingly produced. Finally, his lips parted.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Blinding and brief was the pain she felt in her temple the moment the heel of his boot collided with her skull. It was the last thing she remembered before her mind slipped off into a sea of night.

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_**Reviews are better than being kicked in the head. **_

**FYI:** _Maledictum Magae_ has been nominated in The Vampies 2011 Awards for Best AU. Thank you so much to all who nominated the story! Voting takes place from February 14 - 28. You can find the link to The Vampies website in my profile. Thanks so much again! You all are AWESOME. :)


	15. Ch 14: The Past and Present Unite

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **HUGE thanks to **eibbil_libbie** for betaing this chapter for me. (You are AMAZING). She really helped me in getting this chapter posted sooner for you all. Also, I must thank **katinki** for reccing MM on her Twitter (Girl, there are no words... thank you so much for doing that). Welcome new readers! I hope everyone continues to enjoy this story. We're looking at about three chapters left. So, prepare yourselves...

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**Chapter 14: The Past and Present Unite**

The chilling breeze caressed her pale flesh, tickling the feather-light strands of her hair. It sailed out into the night, tainted with the aroma of copper and ash. Graceful, the waves of its current glided over her, stirring her soul ever so slightly. The lids of her eyes slowly split open, the lashes that guarded the chestnut windows clumped with the stain of dried sorrow.

Diamonds sparkled high above, their light pulsing in the darkness. Her eyes remained fixed on their dance, mesmerized.

White flakes swirled in the air – the cells of cotton dancing above her. It was as if parts of the diamonds in the night sky fell down upon the mortal world, ghosting the inhabitants with frozen endearments that lingered on their flesh.

The breeze kissed her skin once more. _Wake up_, it said. _It is time._ But her limbs were weak. They protested by dull cries and whispers that sparked the pain receptors in her brain. She grimaced.

_Wake up_, the wind repeated. It was a beautiful voice, angelic almost. The cadence of its song reached her ears, sending warmth that spread deep within her arteries and veins, feeding her muscles with strength and life. It felt as if she had been enveloped in a warm, soft blanket, cocooning her body from harm. She wanted to stay there. She wanted to stare up at the stars and listen to the wind lull her into a trance so calming that she finally felt at peace.

_Please don't close your eyes_, the voice murmured. _It's been too long since I've seen you._

A shift of light played out before her. The glittering night transformed into an image of varying shapes and colors. Raven black and powder white seemed to bleed into each other. Within the swirl of opposing hues, a shimmering gold stood out, as blinding as the rising sun. _Look at me_, the voice sang.

She blinked.

The motion was slow. Her lids sealed shut and then peeled open. Swirls of color soon turned into hard lines. The onyx haze took form, revealing softness in strands of hair that spread out exactly like the wings of a bird. The ghostly mist transformed into curves that created the shape of a heart. Within this heart a bright crimson drew the pout of lips; the shimmering gold created irises within a bright gaze.  
"Am I dreaming?" she breathed. Her lips barely opened, her tongue hardly moved, but she was sure she had spoken the words.

The smile that lit up the features of this angel before her was incandescent. A melodic laugh escaped the claret lips. "I'd like to think you'd dream better than this, Isabella."

The familiar tone pierced straight through the layers of skin, muscle and bone of her torso, until it reached the pumping organ within her chest. Hot liquid instantly clouded her vision. "Mary Alice?" Bella whimpered, lifting her head slightly to look more closely at the woman hovering over her.

"That name belongs to you only, Izzy," she beamed. Her small, nimble fingers brushing strands of Bella's hair away from her forehead. "Most people call me Alice nowadays."

A startled sob burst from her lips. No matter the pain that surged through her arm or the clenching protests made by the muscles around her chest, Bella rocked forward until she found herself wrapped in the embrace of her best friend.

"I…" she choked, the ducts in her eyes breaking free to release a steady stream of tears down her cheeks. "I never thought I'd see you again."

She felt the soothing ministrations of Alice's hands over her back and hugged her friend harder. "Don't you remember that I told you we'd see each other again? I never go back on my word, Izzy. Especially with you."

Bella closed her eyes. She could picture Mary Alice standing beneath an apple tree, pale violet garments hugging her body, her amber eyes glistening, her smile never-ending. She spun in circles beneath the tree limbs, breathing in the air deeply. "Come and dance with thee, Izzy," she had said. "Come and relish in the glorious day."

Now, as Bella opened her eyes and gazed into the familiar face of her friend, she saw only death where before there had been life. It was as if her very soul had died the moment she had abandoned her friend. But there was a soft glowing ember deep within her eyes. It held promise and hope.

Bella reached for the small cold hand that gently rested on her side. She smiled, weak as it was, and thread her fingers through Mary Alice's – the living intermingling with the dead. "Tell me what has happened, Alice?"

Alice smiled, her free hand covering their adjoining ones. "I will, but you need to be looked at first. I don't know if you've noticed, but your arm is broken, Bella."

A momentary flash of past events played through Bella's mind. She shuddered, all smiles fading away. Opening her mouth to ask after Jasper and Chelsea, a new figure entered their private space.

She looked up.

The cinnamon waves that graced the top of his head flitted in the breeze. His tawny eyes gazed down on her, full of sadness and grief. Shadows hid in the curve of his cheeks, drawing his features down with heavy lines.

Slowly, he sank down to the ground on his knees. He couldn't bring his gaze to hers as he spoke. "This is my fault."

Alice gave Bella's hand a comforting squeeze and stood to leave. "I'll come back," she whispered.

Bella watched her disappear into the darkened forest for a moment, and then turned her attention back to the despaired being before her.

She reached out a crimson-stained hand, her fingers trembling in the cold wind as they neared his form.

"It is I who should be broken," he murmured, letting her fingers wrap around his wrist. "Not you." His hand gently covered hers. "Never you."

"Shh…" Bella hushed. The pain in her left arm gradually came back as her mind became accustomed to her surroundings. She winced but quickly hid the painful emotion from his eyes. "Are you all right?"

A broken laugh brushed his lips. "How can you ask me that? I don't deserve to be asked that question after what has happened to you."

"I'll be fine," she whispered, watching him intently. It was much easier on her ribs to speak in hushed tones and draw in small breaths. She noticed then how his eyes lingered over the blood that stained her flesh. "Does it bother you?"

A small grin touched the corners of his mouth. "No. It honestly never has in all these years…"

"But your eyes… they were so dark when I fell on the thorns."

"My body responds to blood as any other vampire, but I would and could not ever harm you." He moved closer to her, tilting his forehead against hers, and he lifted his hand from hers to cup her face ever so carefully. She closed her eyes and raised her chin so that the tip of her nose brushed against his. "Your heart is my symphony," he whispered. "Its beat reminds me that you are alive, and there is nothing in this world that would make me destroy such a beautiful sound."

Lifting his head from hers, his thumb gently swept over the skin beneath her eye. She looked up into the sky then, truly comprehending for the first time that it was snowing.

"They're like diamonds, aren't they?" she quietly asked, her breath billowing like smoke into the air. "Falling from the heavens…"

She looked back at him, watching as snowflakes clung to his hair and fell on his cheeks. His skin was just as cold – if not colder – so the flakes sat upon his flesh like frozen tears that would never fall from his chin.

Reaching up, she slowly wiped away the crystalline flakes. "Don't be sad," she murmured, pushing her forehead back against his, her lips hovering over his own. "I may be broken, but I will always be _yours_."

He brushed his lips back and forth against hers, never laying claim to them fully, but leaving her with just a taste of him that lingered on her flesh.

"Bella, I –"

"I know," she whispered. "I love you too."

The soft crunch of leaves lifted their head in unison toward the sound. Bella gasped at the person before her.

"Carlisle?" she breathed.

Carlisle Cullen hadn't changed a bit since the last time she saw him hundreds of years ago. Though his apparel may have been more updated, he still wore the ever-knowing grin of wisdom as old as time. "Hello, dear one," he greeted quietly. "While I'd love to catch up, I'm told your arm needs tending to."

Edward smiled, extracting himself gently from Bella's embrace so that Carlisle could kneel before her to better assess his patient.

"Am I dreaming?" she whispered as he carefully pulled her arm from the jacket sleeve. "This is a lot to take in."

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked softly, redirecting her thoughts elsewhere.

"I think my ribs on the left side are cracked. Though how I'm able to sit up and talk to you all like this is beyond me. I would have thought the pain would be much worse – not that it's not bad," she quickly added.

An amused grin lit up Carlisle's features. "You can probably thank Alice for that." His eyes slid to the side where the small vampire stood off in the background.

"It's just a little charm!" Bella heard an exasperated voice exclaim.

She whimpered slightly as Carlisle assisted her in moving her injured arm, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip.

"Sorry," he whispered. "And no, you're not dreaming, though I presume you'd wish that this were a dream?"

The tips of his fingers applied soft pressure to the skin of her arm, assessing how badly the bone was broken and where.

She didn't respond right away as her mind still swam with a thousand thoughts. "Yes and no."

Bella sucked in a sharp breath, hissing at the pain that suddenly surged through her arm. She silently cursed Alice's charm and its inept ability to make the situation easier for her.

"This needs to be set, Bella," Carlisle explained, his face concerned. "Thankfully, the bone hasn't pierced the skin, but I'd like to get you to the nearest hospital if we could." He raised questioning eyes up to Edward, who now stood worriedly off to the side.

"I'm afraid that's not an option, Carlisle."

A new voice entered the atmosphere. It clung to the invisible currents in the air, singing out in a low country tune.

Bella started, her eyes growing wide at the new figure before her. Jasper walked up to stand next to Edward, whose arms immediately tensed at his sides.

The blonde's scarlet eyes roamed over the two figures lowered to the ground. He didn't seem in the least bit curious or suspicious of Carlisle's help toward the human. His words and expression were matter-of-fact.

"I'm sorry for that," he said to Bella, tilting his chin toward her broken arm. "It was not my intention to hurt you."

Bella's jaws clenched and she withdrew from Carlisle's touch. Her eyes danced from Edward to Jasper to Carlisle and finally to Alice who had just joined the group. She noticed then how close Alice stood to the southern vampire, the way her body leaned in to his, as if magnets.

"You're all _with_ him?" she accused, shaking her head in disbelief. "What is this?" Using her right arm and the remaining strength in her legs, she scooted away from Carlisle, attempting to separate her from the visible ties of her past. "Edward?" she beckoned, turning questioning eyes to him.

He swallowed hard, a natural reflex. "Do you remember me telling you about my family? That we all adopted each other? I have four siblings, Bella – two sisters and two brothers. Alice is one of my sisters." His eyes darted to Jasper. "And Jasper… is… he's one of my brothers."

She stared dumbly at the vampires before her, their eyes all focused on her – a sea of honey and blood. The memory of the female vampire from before flashed through her mind and she found herself focusing on Jasper. "Where is she? The one you were with before?"

Jasper opened his mouth to answer her, an unsure expression crossing his face, but three more figures instantly appeared in their small circle.

Bella jumped at their presence and on instinct scooted up further until her back rammed against the trunk of a tree, the action sending stabbing pains that sung around her chest. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as she tried to focus on the new vampires before her.

One of the figures was male. He wasn't as tall as Edward or Jasper, though he could have been just as menacing with the bulk of his weight centered in the many muscles that lay beneath his flesh. The other two figures were female – one with hair the shade of chestnuts and soft features that hid in the curves of her face; the other with long, luxurious waves of golden hair, her features striking in an alien form of beauty. She was by far the most stunning person Bella had seen. Like Jasper, the one feature that all three had in common was the vibrant crimson shade of their irises.

The male spoke first. "We tried to catch to her, but she was too fast. Already having about a ten minute start, it was useless."

A low growl emanated from Edward's chest at the remark and the brawny vampire turned his gaze sharply toward him. "Not all of us are as fast you, dear brother. Maybe _you_ should have gone after her. Maybe if _you_ hadn't gotten involved – "

"Stop it!" Alice seethed, her nostrils flared. "We don't have time to argue now, Emmett."

"What's wrong?" Edward questioned.

All the while, Bella watched the two new female figures, studying them. While the brunette focused hard on the conversation at hand, the blonde slowly turned her gaze on Bella. She found it hard to not feel uncomfortable under the bloodstained stare.

"They're coming," Alice said, her voice desperate. "We don't have time to hide her. They already know she's here."

Bella tore her eyes away from the blonde. "Who does? Who's coming here?"

Edward and Alice seemed to be having a silent conversation, creating a tension that lingered in the air above them. When no one spoke, Bella tried again. "Alice? What the hell is going on?"

Defeated, the small pixie turned to her best friend, exhaustion and fear lingering on her face. "It's the Volturi. We all came here because I knew that they would come after you and Edward. Jasper followed Chelsea in hopes of warning Edward first, but obviously that didn't happen." She paused to sigh loudly, her hands resting firmly on her hips. "You remember how I can see the future? Well, the moment I saw Jasper's failure in getting to the two of you in time was the moment I saw everything that Aro was planning. He and his brothers are on their way here. Now."

"Caius and Marcus too?" the brunette questioned, her voice strangely calming and soft.

Carlisle stood to join her at her side, his hand rubbing small, soothing circles over the small of her back. "Esme is right. That doesn't make sense. It would be more like them to order us to their court, not the other way around."

"They don't trust us," Edward interjected. "They never have. Why hope that your enemies come to you when you can go to them? This is their way of challenging us and being able to see Bella face to face."

"How long do we have?" Jasper murmured quietly, his arms crossed over his chest as his gaze focused on the forest floor.

Alice shrugged. "About ten minutes? Maybe more. It's hard to tell. Aro's decisions keep changing."

"Well, this is just great," the blonde finally spoke. Her hardened gaze zeroed in on Edward. "We're all going to die because of Alice's prodigy here." She held a hand out, motioning to Bella. "Alice already filled us in on what happened over the years. If Aro touches any one of us, he'll know the truth."

"He'll know that Bella didn't kill Didyme," Edward reasoned.

"Yes, but he'll know that _you_ did," she hissed. "We don't even know her, yet you're asking us to sacrifice ourselves to save you because of her!"

"What if it were the other way around?" Edward roared, stalking toward her. "I love her, Rosalie. I love her just as much as you love Emmett. I feel her _here_," he stated, pushing the palm of his hand against his chest, above the still organ deep inside. "I _feel _her there. If this were between you and Emmett, would you think that I'd not defend you even though it would mean my own life? Do you not think that all of us would? This is my happiness. This is who I love. You may not approve of my decisions, but we're family. If you don't do this for her, then do this for me. This is my decision." He turned to face Bella, his eyes earnest and intense. "She is my decision."

Rosalie didn't say anything for some time. Eventually, she tilted her head in the barest of nods. It initiated the release of tension in Edward's frame as he visibly relaxed.

"We need to come up with a plan," Carlisle finally spoke, his voice quiet, level. "They'll be here soon."

"What kind of plan could we possibly have?" Emmett questioned. "The only thing we can do is stick together. Edward's right. We're a family. If one goes down, we all do. That _is_ the plan."

"Wait a second," Bella tried to say, but the vampires before her began to talk amongst themselves once more, overshadowing her small voice.

"We might still have time to come up with something –"

"It won't work."

"Would you just listen?"

"Please, let's not argue again."

"The Volturi will be here any moment!"

"Yeah, and we're apart of them, so bring it."

Bella shut her eyes tight, willing the intermingling voices to go away. The pain in her arm was becoming unbearable and the hissing siren of their arguments did nothing to ease her inner tension. Without her focus, she could tell that Alice's charm was wearing off. "Please, listen to me," she ground out, though they continued to argue. "Listen to me!" she tried again, her voice louder though not enough to cause an effect.

Her aching ribs would make her pay for this later, but she had to do something. "SHUT UP!" she bellowed, slamming her right fist to the ground. In that instant, the power within her surged through the air, and shook the ground beneath their feet. A force of wind spiraled up from the forest floor in the middle of the family feud. It exploded in a vibration of noise that knocked the vampires off their feet, tossing them into the air.

A cloud of dirt and debris coated the atmosphere and Bella peered through the haze to discern what had just happened.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Standing in the center of several robed figures only about twenty feet away, was a man with long onyx hair. His skin was so translucent that the small tubes of pale veins could be clearly seen branching off in different directions within his face. His eyes were wide, their color the familiar, terrifying red. Slowly, a grin twisted the thin lines of his lips and he clapped his spindly pale hands together with joy.

"Wonderful," he beamed. "How extraordinary you are, Isabella Swan." He whispered her name like a specter in the night, his tongue punctuating the syllables. "My name is Aro. Finally, we meet at last."

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**_Reviews are better than arguing vampires._**

_On a more serious note, I'd like to just say that my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Japan right now. A girl I went to school with is among the Americans missing in Japan. What happened was something that no one could have even imagined, but I hope that we can all stand together and help this country rebuild. To those of you who have lost loved ones or are awaiting news on someone who is missing, my heart goes out to you. _**_  
_**


	16. Ch 15: An Extinguished Flame

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **As always, a HUGE thanks goes to my fab beta, **twi-ction**. I apologize again for not updating sooner, but I hope it's worth the wait! Two to three (maybe three... yeah, I know I said this last time) chapters left guys! Get ready for some craziness to ensue in 3... 2... 1...

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**Chapter 15: An Extinguished Flame**

Silence filled the air. Not even the soothing cadence of a cricket's song could be heard. The wind snaked through the cloaked, motionless figures staggered amongst the trees. Their black robes rippled, creating a wave of death in the darkness.

Frozen, Bella could only stare helplessly at the figure in the center of the group – Aro, he called himself.

"Forgive me, my dear." His voice shattered the night air, like nails dragging down a chalkboard. "May I introduce my brothers?" Aro held out one pale hand to his right. "Caius." He held out a hand to the left. "And Marcus."

Marcus absently watched the sporadic motions of an owl high up in a tree. He didn't turn his gaze on her, but she noticed the tightening of the muscles in his jaw as he clenched his mouth shut. There was anger there, hidden beneath the pale layer of skin. But there was also bewilderment – something that Bella didn't quite understand.

She turned her attention to the other vampire at Aro's side. His blood-red eyes glowed in the dark from beneath the rim of his hood. Unlike Marcus, his gaze followed her every motion with interest. She felt herself cower in his presence. The red within his irises was as bright as the liquid that flowed so freely within one's carotid artery. Panic trickled through her nerves as he slowly lifted his lips into the shape of a grin.

"Those you see behind us are part of the Volturi guard," Aro continued on. "Jane, Alec, Demitri, Felix and Chelsea." Aro nodded toward the last. "I believe you've already met her."

The blonde took a small step forward, her teeth glimmering like knives as she smiled at Bella.

"There are more members, but these are the ones I treasure the most. They travel with me at all times."

Eight pairs of claret eyes shone within the shadows of the forest, watching her.

"You understand, of course," Aro murmured, his smile growing wide. "I see you've also met other members of my guard as well."

For a brief moment, a vision of perfect clarity flashed through her mind. Dismembered limbs lay in a tangled heap on the ground. In front of the carnage, Edward knelt before his master. A limp body lay, cradled, within his arms. Grief swam heavily in his eyes as he stared up at the man before him. Though she could picture the body perfectly, everything seemed blurry from the shoulders up. But Bella knew without a doubt, that it was she Edward held so reverently within his grasp. It was her death that brought sorrow to his eyes.

_Be careful, Izzy._

Alice's voice invaded the vision, bringing her back to reality. Bella glanced up to see Alice, along with the rest of her family, walking back to where they had been previously, their approach ever so cautious before the Volturi.

Aro turned his gaze to all of them with amusement. "It's so fascinating," he murmured. "Seven grown vampires all overcome by one human." He turned his attention back on Bella. "She took you all down without even so much as a flinch."

She swallowed nervously, trying to bury herself within the tree that held her upright. Everything about this situation made her want to run.

"It's extraordinary," Aro whispered, clasping his hands together beneath his chin as if in prayer.

Caius growled lowly to his right. "It needs to be disposed of."

The eldest brother tilted his head to the side, examining her, and smiled widely. "All in good time."

"Why don't you go to her, Aro?" A deep, hollow voice penetrated the air as Marcus finally glanced toward the witch. "You know what you want to do, brother. She won't stop you." His eyes slid warily to the side where Edward clenched his fists, readying to attack. "Though _he_ might."

"I am not worried," Aro said, never taking his eyes off of Bella. "The rest will handle him."

He took a step forward, outstretching a cold hand. "Come to me, dear child," he sang. "Let me have a look at you."

He walked a few more steps until he was nearly hovering over her. She cowered away from him and the hand he so readily offered.

"If you touch her…" Edward warned menacingly, his entire body shaking.

"You'll do what?" Aro spit back, turning his gaze on the young vampire. "I could rip your head off before you could even move. Do not _test_ me, boy. You work for me. I _own_ you and you will do as you're told. Don't forget it."

He looked back down at Bella; her body huddled in a ball. The stench of blood hung dangerously in the air around her. Aro licked his lips. "No harm will come to you, Isabella. Please, take my hand."

Her gaze nervously flickered from his hand back to his eyes, which were now steadily growing dark, like a storm rolling overhead. Her breath pillowed into blankets of smoke within the cold air as the snowfall began to grow thicker around them.

After a moment, Aro's smile faltered, his patience waning. "It is not polite to not speak when spoken to. Take. My. Hand."

Bella frowned, the lines in her forehead wrinkling her skin as she stared back at the pale, empty hand. The snowflakes seemed to freeze into small crystalline diamonds as they fell on his frigid skin.

Tired of waiting, Aro reached forward, wrenching Bella to her feet. She cried out as he grasped her left hand, cracking the already broken bones in her arm. Hot tears streamed down her face, leaking off of her chin. With his other hand, he clutched her jaw, bringing her face close to his. "I asked you take my hand," he seethed, his mouth inches from hers.

Edward was nearly to them by the time Aro grasped her, but was stopped by a hand firmly pushing against his chest. Carlisle stood protectively in front of him, blocking an oncoming attack from one of the other guards.

"Don't _do_ this," Carlisle whispered desperately in Edward's ear. "You'll only get her killed."

"That is wise advice, my friend," Aro spoke loudly.

Caius snapped his fingers, signaling the guard to withdraw from them. "Leave them be."

"Now," Aro muttered, inhaling Bella's scent. "Let me _see_ you." He stared fully into her eyes, his hands never leaving her skin. She tried to jerk her face away from him, but found it useless. The searing pain that radiated up her left arm left her feeling dizzy and nauseated. Aro was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

After a few agonizingly silent moments, a disappointed expression cascaded over his face. "Interesting," he whispered. "I can't see anything."

Bella's body began to sway and through the pain-induced haze, she remembered Edward telling her about Aro's special ability. He could read someone's mind by just touching them, but for some reason, he couldn't read hers.

Unnerved, Aro began to withdraw from her. But in that moment, a flash of colors danced behind her eyes. Instinctively, she gripped his hand tighter, ignoring the pain. The colors transformed into scenes, people, landscapes. As she held onto Aro's hand, she began to see images of things she had never known. Finally, a vision of Aro stood within her mind's eye. He was discussing something with Caius. The words, "Didyme" and "death" rang loudly in her ears.

With something new to focus on, her body became strangely alert. Reaching forward with her right hand, she grabbed onto Aro's robes, pulling him back to her with surprising strength.

"How _dare_ you," he snarled, his words barely reaching her.

He moved his free hand back, ready to strike, but she caught his wrist firmly. "You will not leave. Not yet," she breathed, seeing more images race through her mind.

Aro may not have been able to read her thoughts, but she was certainly reading his.

She felt him struggle within her grasp, but her powers seemed to hold him in place. They surged through her body, their heat resonating within her limbs, numbing the pain within her arm and chest. It was as if she was drawing his own power from him and into her own body. She was able to think… to _see _what needed to be seen.

Everything else around her seemed to fall away as the thoughts became clearer in her mind.

"_Marcus has told me that he and Didyme want to leave," Caius spoke solemnly, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared up at the domed ceiling above. "They want to put everything about what we've created behind them. They want to start off afresh." _

"_Impossible," Aro snarled, pacing back and forth. _

_Caius sighed, a reaction from his human days. "I do not even begin to imagine the feelings they have for each other. It's too human, if you ask me. But I know that we could trust them to depart. If it's what he wants…" _

"_Since when are you the bearer of feelings, Caius?" Aro hissed, rounding on his comrade with a fury. "Since when have you, dear brother, ever cared for another living creature – alive or undead?" _

"_Let us get something straight," Caius seethed, stalking toward Aro. "I am _not_ your brother. You took me in when I came here thousands of years of ago, and I am grateful for that, but you do not address me as part of your blood. We are only mere allies. I am not the same as you and do not forget that."_

"_No… you're not," Aro murmured appreciatively. "But you do answer to me, Caius. So when I ask you a question, I expect a suitable answer to it." _

_Caius' jaws locked in quiet rage, refusing to answer him. _

_Aro ignored his ignorance and continued on with the matter at hand. "Marcus cannot leave. He is bound to me as is Didyme, but Marcus is someone I treasure more than his wife." _

_Caius followed his movements as he began to pace across the floor again, his mind racing. Finally, Aro stopped, an idea suddenly forming in his mind. _

"_Didyme must be destroyed," he whispered, the pupils in his eyes dilating. _

"_But she is your sister," Caius bargained. "Do you not care at all for her life?"_

_A beat of silence passed between them before Aro spoke. "No."_

"_Marcus will kill you," Caius warned. "Is that what you want? To leave our rule in turmoil? He will not take this lightly, Aro."_

_Aro smiled, a sickeningly sweet curl of his lips. "Ah, but he will, dear Caius. Marcus is so consumed by the human feeling of love, that he will also feel the human feeling of loss. And being that we are vampires, he will feel the loss on a much deeper level than any human could ever hope to imagine. Marcus will be my puppet. He will be my shadow. His soul will be _mine_ and there will be no option of him leaving. Not after that." _

"_Tell me, Aro," Caius sneered. "How exactly do you propose such an endeavor?" _

"_I've been using Alice," he divulged, his smile growing wider. _

_Caius' gaze narrowed into tiny slits. "The seer? Why is it that you trust the Cullens? Half of them don't even drink from humans."_

"_Yes, but we let them live out their lives in return for their service, Caius. They are all special." _

"_And they all portray that of a human as well. I'm supposed to _eat_ humans. Not live with them." _

"_Now, now," Aro chided lightly. "I knew there was something more behind Alice's little story of going to Salem. So, I found her the day of her departure and made her open her mind to me. You know how much she tries to block me with her powers as a witch." _

_Caius nodded._

"_Well, I threatened the life of her mate – Jasper. He would be able to tell if she was lying to me and Chelsea would be able to tell if _he_ was lying to protect her. Chelsea is so very loyal to us." _

"_Are you telling me that you blackmailed her?" Caius wondered, the idea lifting his lips into a satisfied grin._

"_That's _exactly_ what I'm saying."_

_Caius moved to sit on his throne, an ornate chair decorated in obsidian and gold. He rotated his wrist lazily in the air. "So how, pray tell, does Didyme's death factor into all of this?" _

"_Ah, that's the beauty of this whole story, Caius. You see, Edward has feelings for the human that Alice has befriended."_

_Caius' wrist froze and his blood-red eyes slid over to Aro. "Does he now?" _

_Aro nodded. "Yes. From Alice's thoughts, I was able to discern that the human would undoubtedly learn about our kind. She needs to be destroyed. If I let slip a little… oh… _information_ in front of Didyme, she will take it upon herself to destroy the girl on her own. You see Didyme is a marvelous creature. I believe that she would take on this task in order to gain more of my favor and in succeeding she will hope that I will grant them leave. But you see I know that if she leaves, Edward will follow. He would kill her to save his human, which would leave me free of her and Marcus would be mine for eternity. Edward will come back to reveal his disloyalty and betrayal but Alice will block some his thoughts from mine. I will, of course, know the full truth but Edward will not realize any of that. In his thoughts, it would appear that the girl – who is also a witch, I might add – is the one who killed Didyme. Marcus and everyone else here will know that as the truth. You and I will have to play a little game of pretend. It will all work out well, you see." _

_Caius hummed appreciatively. "Your idea is very grand, Aro, but I foresee several little black holes in your plot."_

"_So we jump over the little black holes, _brother_."_

_Caius' smile was tight as he turned to his master. "And tell me, the future that you've seen? Is it solid? Can you discern what happens after?" _

_Aro's smile dissipated slightly. "No. But I have faith that things will work out." _

"_Alice's visions never stay on the same path once, Aro. You are being too risky with this idea of yours. You're so thirsty for more power that you cannot see the damage that this whole thing could create!" _

"_SILENCE," Aro growled, instantly hovering over Caius. "I will not be contradicted on this matter. Remember that you are also mine. Be glad that I do not strike down Athenodora as well and leave you just as soulless as Marcus will be. Because I could, you know."_

"_If you even try – "_

"_You'll be dead too," Aro whispered menacingly. He brought his nose down against the side of Caius' face and dragged it along the length of his jaw, inhaling his scent. "Your soul will always belong to me. If you dare try to refute me on this plan, your wife will meet her end. Make no mistake about that." _

Bella gasped, her mind thrown back into the present. She stared at the vampire before her in shocked disgust. "_You_," she hissed. "You betrayed everyone."

Aro's eyes widened, his voice barely above a whisper as he questioned, "How can you see my thoughts?"

"You blackmailed Alice into telling you everything!" Bella accused, ignoring his inquiry. "You were the one who had Didyme killed – your own sister – just so Marcus could stay with you. You even blackmailed Caius to keep your plan silent."

Aro's fingers were suddenly wrapped around her neck, squeezing ever so slightly. "I am the leader. I rule over everyone here. They listen to me and do not question my laws. If I say something is to be done, then it will be done without question. And not even you can change that."

Bella struggled to breath in the oxygen that her body craved, but she managed to speak within his tight grasp. "Because of you Jacob was killed," she stammered, her voice trembling with ire. "You took his life."

Aro smiled pleasantly at her. "Ah yes, it was such a misfortune that the Indian died."

Fury coursed through her veins and on impulse, she spit in his eye.

Startled, his smile instantly vanished as his irises turned to a sickening black.

"I've done my research," Bella spat. "You were right in that I would know of your kind. I know that the sun does nothing to harm you. I know that a stake through the heart won't kill you or that garlic will not affect you. But there is something that you have in common with the vampires of myths and legends."

"Oh?" Aro hummed, his voice unusually high. "And what is that?"

Bella leveled her gaze with his and smiled. "Fire."

She grabbed a hold of the hand around her neck, and though flames did not spring forth, their result became evident on his skin. Aro howled in pain as his flesh began to singe and peel away from the bones in his hand as smoke filtered high into the air.

He let go of her, her body dropping to the ground with a loud thud. She winced and turned her gaze back on him, her chest heaving with the anger that spread through her soul.

The moment he released her, his skin began to heal, the tendons in the muscles of his hand twisted together until the translucency of his flesh was back to normal. He held onto the once injured appendage, staring at it in awe… and fear.

His gaze instantly shot up to Edward. "Regardless of what she says, _you_ are the one who betrayed us! You killed Didyme to save her… a _human_. And you will suffer for this."

Alice suddenly gasped and raced forward to Bella, her eyes wide with horror. And just as she was about to reach her friend, white-hot pain shot through her skull and she fell to the ground, her hands clutching her hair as an agonized scream escaped her lips.

Jasper raced to her side, but was stopped by another guard. As strong as this guard seemed to be, Jasper's moves were precise. He dodged the oncoming attack and with a twist of his body, grabbed the guard's arm and detached it from his torso.

Another scream filled the night.

Utter terror began to fill Bella's heart. She had no idea why her best friend was in so much pain and as she watched the other guard hit the ground in agony, Jasper too collapsed to his knees as pain distorted the features of his face. It was as if an unseen force were torturing the two vampires whose screams grew louder with every second.

"Felix is one of our most faithful guards and _you_ have tainted him!" Caius raved, his whole body trembling as he stared down at Jasper's crumpled form. "You will feel death, my friend."

At that moment, more guards seemed to appear from the trees. They encircled the rest of the Cullen family, preventing them from aiding Jasper and Alice. A thunderous roar rang into the night as Emmett tried to tear his way through. Bella watched, horrified, as a fight broke out amongst the vampires.

Desperately, Bella searched the guards who stood behind the rulers of the Volturi. These were the ones that Aro claimed were his most treasured. There was a small, thin one, his eyes as piercing as a hawk. Beside him, two children watched the scene within gleeful expressions – one male, the other female. Something about the small girl drew Bella's attention. The girl's eyes seemed to be focused on Alice and Jasper, as if she was in a trance. Bella put two and two together, realizing that pain must be this vampire's gift. She struggled to stand up, but was suddenly confronted with Aro once more.

"Do you see what you've done?" he asked her. "Do you see what you've created amongst my community? This is why humans should not intermingle with vampires."

"But I'm not a mere human," Bella hissed, her gaze deadly as she focused on him.

Aro smiled – something she noticed that he did quite often. "No, you're not. You're a _witch_." The way his voice rolled over that last word made a shuddering chill snake down her spine, interweaving between the vertebrae. "Do you know what they do to witches, Isabella?" he whispered in her ear, his face suddenly too close to hers.

Suddenly, a book was produced in front of her on the snow-covered ground. _Malleus Maleficarum_. She inhaled sharply, panic thrumming beneath the surface of her skin. She pushed herself away from the book, away from the vampire as her adrenaline suddenly awakened the nerves within her body.

"There are many ways to kill a witch," Aro hummed excitedly. "Do you know what my favorite one is? I do believe it's the most efficient way, you know."

Bella's heart beat uncontrollably fast within her chest, slamming against her sternum in an unsteady rhythm.

Aro's eyes were as black as onyx, two bottomless pits of hell. His sharp teeth gleamed within the snowy night as he smiled down at her. Slowly, he pulled out a sword from within his robes.

Bella's eyes widened and she could vaguely hear Edward's voice screaming her name in the background.

Excitement fed the sudden animal that emerged from within Aro's soul. "Beheading," he whispered.

Hands suddenly encircled her arms, holding her in place.

"NO!" she cried out, desperately trying to break away from the guards who held her. Her feet slid in the snow, smearing mud that bled into the serene white of the ground.

She tried to move her arms, but her left arm would not give, and she cried, her body tipping forward as the pain came searing back.

Edward broke through the mass of guards, his speed carrying him closer and closer to her.

Bella looked up to see his enraged face, his body catapulting toward them at an inhumane speed. She had witnessed his protectiveness and glimpses of the monster that lived within his body. She had heard his menacing growls within the shadows and seen his golden eyes glow like embers in the dark. However, the Edward that rushed to save her now, was nothing of the person she had known. The monster within him had truly come alive. The amber that normally filled his eyes only shone at the outer edges of his irises. It was as if black ink were bleeding within the lines of the color that resided there. Like the startling mixture of hues in molten rock, his gaze was hypnotizing, yet deadly all at once.

His body slammed into Aro, who had the blade raised high over his head. Upon impact, a thunderous bang ricocheted between the trees, shaking the branches high in the air.

But within seconds, Aro had tossed him aside, the force of his throw slamming Edward hard against a tree. The wood splintered and cracked in the charged atmosphere.

"Edward!" Bella cried out, her vision blurred by her tears.

He fell to the ground, limp, his eyes starring unseeingly up at the heavens.

Hysteria licked at her veins, threatening to overtake her as Aro turned his attention back on her, the sword gripped tightly in his hands.

It was as if everything slowed down, as if time had stilled in that very moment.

Bella saw past the black robes of the vampire before her; they rippled lazily in the breeze. She saw the vampires of Edward and Alice's family attempting to fight their way through the guards. The brunette, Esme, took a violent blow to the head and she was flung backward. Carlisle's eyes turned dangerous and he released a guttural howl that would have frightened even the most feared vampire around. Her eyes slid over to her friend and the southern vampire on the ground. Alice had become nearly catatonic in her pain. She lay lifelessly in the snow, the frozen flakes falling gracefully around her, as her body would twitch every so often. Jasper, though his limbs shook and his teeth gritted together with each blow the small child-like vampire bestowed upon him, crawled slowly over to his beloved. Bella watched as he gasped Alice's name, his hand reaching out to clasp her wrist.

_Bella._

It was Alice's voice. Bella watched as her fingers flinched in the snow, the palm of her hand kissing the ground.

_Find me, Bella._

The guards that held Bella bent her head forward until she was facing the ground, the chestnut waves of her hair draping down on either side of her face.

_Bella_, Alice called again. _Find. Me. _

Understanding dawned on her and as Aro stalked toward her, the blade of his sword lifting into the air over the back of her neck, Bella used her powers to rip her right arm free. She fell forward, placing the palm of her hand flat against the snowy turf.

Aro's sword lowered down upon her.

A burst of energy rippled through the ground in a glowing yellow line that spread from the tips of Bella's fingers until it reached Alice's hand.

The blade moved ever close to the flesh of her neck.

A gasp escaped Bella's lips the moment her power connected with Alice's.

She expected to feel some kind of searing pain that would instantly turn to nothing the moment her head was disconnected from her body. She expected to never see Alice or Edward ever again. She expected to never know of Carlisle's family or what they all truly meant in her life.

What she didn't expect was what happened next.

The wind picked up, swirling the snow around them in a gigantic cyclone. Her hair blew up and away from her face. She lifted her head to see Alice staring at her, her golden eyes wide. She pushed herself up from the ground and began crawling toward Bella.

"Master," a guard called from behind her. "What is this madness?"

Aro had suddenly forgotten about the sword and stared helplessly around him, as did the rest of the guard. Snow, dead leaves, and other debris swirled in a thick mass, surrounding them.

Alice was coming closer to Bella now, the young vampire's focus distracted elsewhere and no longer on her.

_Follow your instincts_, Alice's voice flooded her mind. _You have to trust me, Izzy._

Bella nodded and glanced up to Aro, who towered over her, the sword at his side. She knew what to do.

"Do you know what they do to vampires, Aro?" she asked him suddenly, her voice carrying over the wind.

Aro turned back to her, startled.

She smiled, mimicking the sardonic grins he so often wore. "They _burn_ them."

In that moment, Bella launched herself forward, breaking away from the guard's hold. Her hand reached forward just as Alice reached out to her. The moment their hands touched, a brilliant blaze of flames sprouted up from the earth. They joined the swirling snow – fire and ice together as one.

A flame – a startling electric blue – shot out of the swirling mass and struck one of the guards that encircled the remaining Cullens. It engulfed the vampire, his shrieks echoing noisily. And just as in the domino effect, the blue flames spread from guard to guard, leaving the Cullens untouched.

"What have you done?" Caius cried out, running to Aro's side, his gaze hard and cold as he stared at his superior. "What have you _done _to us all?"

Aro watched the massacre unfold before his eyes, his body slowly becoming numb.

The vampire children screamed in terror as blue flames spread across the snow, chasing them. The remaining guards who had been blocking Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, were now lying in a heap of fallen bodies, creating a large circle. The blue flames dance merrily over their flesh, devouring it.

Bella's insides seemed to tremble with the power that surged through her. Her bones shook, her organs quivered, her blood bubbled. She felt hot liquid seep from her nose and ears and knew that it was her own blood as her body struggled to maintain the power that she had harnessed for so many years. She could even feel it leaking from her eyes. She could taste the coppery liquid on her tongue as it seeped into the corners of her mouth.

The power she released could kill her. But if she died trying to save those she cared about, it would be worth it.

She turned her head to the side, her eyes finding Edward's body lying in the snow. Slowly, he pushed himself up, his own gaze finding hers. Despair instantly crossed his face and he tried to make his body move to hers but found the strength within him was nearly depleted.

She was keeping him back. She didn't want to have to suffer the moment of saying goodbye to him. Not so soon after she found him.

"I love you," she mouthed, salty tears intermingling with the rusty blood that slipped down her cheeks.

Edward shook his head. "No," he ground out. "Let me move."

She closed her eyes, turning away from him.

"BELLA!" she heard him wail, anger and pain laced in his voice.

"Stay with me," Alice murmured. "You can do this. I know you can."

Bella swallowed hard, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried to focus.

"_Insolent_," Aro seethed above them. His deadly raven eyes locked on them both. "You think you can defy me?"

He shoved Caius to the side and bent down to grasp Alice's hair, yanking her head up to look at him.

"Why don't you look at me, instead?" Bella spat, snapping her gaze on the raven-haired vampire.

Momentarily startled by the blood that covered her face, Aro staggered back a step. The usual scent of her blood did not meet his nose. Instead, it smelled sour, foreign. As if she was undeniably protected from his bloodlust, the smell of her blood disgusted him. He released Alice's hair and turned to Caius who merely snarled in his direction.

"I said," Bella insisted, releasing Alice's hand to grasp onto Aro's. "Look. At. _Me_."

Once again, the singeing of skin igniting on Aro's flesh and he fell to his knees in agony before her. Bella curled her left arm to her chest protectively, but her right hand held onto Aro like a vice. "You will not harm the Cullens. You will leave them be. And from this moment forward, you and your guards will return from where you came from. You will not speak to any of us again. And if you do," she murmured, bringing her face close to his, her scent nearly overwhelming him. "I _will_ kill you."

"And what if you're dead before that happens?" he breathed.

"I wouldn't count on it," Alice suddenly said. In a blindingly fast motion, her arm sliced through the air until it pierced the flesh and bone of Aro's torso. He opened his mouth in a silent scream as her hand found its way around his dead heart.

Bella turned to her friend in shock. She never knew Alice to be capable of anything so destructive.

Like Bella's power burning the skin of Aro's arm, Alice's burned him from the inside out.

His flesh began to melt away from the bone and in turn, set flame to the garments that he wore. Bella could see white bone from his ribs peaking out from the burnt clothing.

"Swear you will not come to us again," Alice hissed. "Swear it!"

"I… swear…" Aro gasped, his eyes rolling into the back of his skull in sheer torment.

She stared at him for a moment more before withdrawing her hand. "Release him," she commanded calmly.

Bella let go of him and as soon as it happened, the spiraling wind around them suddenly died. Debris and heaps of snow fell to the ground and the once blue flames that sparked in the air and over the ground had dissipated into swirls of navy smoke.

Bella's eyes became unfocused. She felt her body sway slightly.

"It will take him time to heal," she heard Alice telling Caius and Marcus. "I suggest you leave immediately."

Black began to seep into the corners of Bella's gaze and she felt her stomach give way as nausea rolled over her in waves. Her whole world began to leave her.

She felt hands on her back as her body collapsed. She could feel cool fingers brushing hair out of her face and could see the blurred vision of someone hovering over her. The blaze of cinnamon waves that danced atop of their head was unmistakable. She smiled. "Edward," she heard her voice murmur.

And like a candle's flame that suddenly is extinguished, the light of her world was blown out.

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**_Reviews are better than Alice's witchy wrath._**


	17. Ch 16: To Wake Anew

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N: **I never meant for this update to take so long to get posted, guys, so I apologize for that. Hopefully, it's worth the wait! Two more updates left until the end... Thanks so much to all of the readers (new and old)! I wasn't able to respond to every review, but I will work hard to that this time around. ;) Enjoy! And as always, a HUGE thanks goes out to my beta, **twi-ction**!

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**Chapter 16: To Wake Anew**

_The wind blew past her face, swirling orange and green oak leaves around her feet. She felt the rough surface against her back and looked up to see the tall arms of a tree outstretched into the skies above. The gnarled roots acted as a chair for her body, supporting her legs. _

_She glanced down at her hands, the skin surprisingly blood-free. She lifted her left arm to stretch it out horizontally to the ground. There was no pain. _

_A small smile graced her lips as the warm breeze kissed her face once more. _

_Sunlight streamed through the canopy, dancing in between the limbs that swayed in the autumn wind. The light touched her skin, heating her blood to rise to the surface of her cheeks. She felt serene. She felt peace. _

_So this must be her heaven. The horrors she had experienced were gone. A sudden relief washed over her and she expelled a breath that left her body feeling calm and relaxed. _

_A little pinging noise brought her out of her reverie and she turned her gaze to the ground beside her. Bright crimson drops began to litter the autumn foliage that covered the forest floor. _

_Slowly, she looked up to the heights of her tree and noticed the scarlet liquid flowing freely through the ridges in the bark, oozing sadness in thick claret tears._

_Startled, she pushed herself away, turning around to walk backward as her eyes stayed on the bleeding tree. _

"_So you are here," a voice called out behind her. _

_Bella closed her eyes. It had been hundreds of years since she had heard that voice. _

_She felt a warming sensation cascade across her back as his presence came nearer. _

_Turning around, she opened her eyes to her Jacob, her first love, her first kiss, her first everything. _

_Thankfully, he was not mangled in her heaven like he was in her nightmares. He looked just as she remembered him before the chaos took over their lives. _

_He was beautiful._

"_Jake," she breathed, unable to find her voice. _

_He swallowed, his hands shoved within his pockets. Hesitantly, he retrieved his hands, reached out to her, but then dropped them back to his sides. It was as if an internal battle waged on within his body. _

_He frowned, his eyes glistening, and suddenly he closed the gap between them, his hands finding purchase on the sides of her face. He brought their foreheads together as the gasp that escaped her lips floated into the air. _

"_Isabella," he whispered earnestly, his lips brushing against hers. _

_The wind picked up around them, sending a haze of warm hues in the leaves that feathered past their skin and whipped through their hair. _

"_I wish I could keep you here," he murmured, his thumbs gently wiping away the stray tears that claimed her cheeks. _

"_Aren't I dead?" she asked, wrapping her fingers around his wrists, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. _

_Jacob shook his head, an expression both happy and sad crossing his face. "No, my Izzy, you are not dead."_

_Her hands slid down his arms, along his sides, until they rested on his hips. She tugged his body closer to hers. _

"_In fact," he whispered, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. "You need to wake up."_

_She pulled back from him slightly, realization dawning on her. "That means I'll leave you, won't it?" _

_A watery smile crossed his boyish features. "Yes, Isabella. You will." _

_Bella shook her head, her tears falling faster. "No. I won't leave you, Jacob." _

"_Shh…" he hushed, brushing away strands of her hair to caress her cheeks. "I have and will always be with you. Besides, you have another who has claimed your heart back in your own world."_

_An image of Edward floated through her mind and she could do nothing to stop the increased rhythm of her heart. _

_A soft chuckle rumbled through Jacob's chest. "I do not like someone else being able to touch you like this," he confessed, lifting his chin to place a kiss on her forehead. "But he does love you – wholeheartedly. It is a very strange feeling to come from a vampire," he teased. _

_Bella smiled, her fingers dipping beneath the hem of his shirt to trace lazy circles on his tanned skin. _

"_I wish I didn't have to leave you, though." _

"_I'm right here, Izzy," he said, placing his palm against her chest. "I'm here in your heart. It's where I've always been." _

"_Jake," she whimpered, pushing her forehead back against his._

_She felt the wind caress the back of her neck, blowing strands of her hair haphazardly around them. _

_And with the wind, the fragments of Jacob's body began to leave, disintegrating inch by inch. His feet disappeared first – patches of color and light slowing vanishing into nothing. _

_Panicked, Bella watched as her first love dissolved before her very eyes. "No," she whispered, her voice quivering. "Don't leave me. Jake…" _

"_Shh…" he hushed as the wind grew in strength. It picked up debris from the forest floor, creating a cocoon of fallen leaves around them._

_He gathered her small hands within his and placed lingeringly kisses on her flesh. "You need to wake up," he murmured. He kissed away each tear that slid from her closed eyes. "Wake up." His lips drifted over her forehead, over the bridge of her nose, across her cheeks, and finally stopped to hover over her own lips, wet with the salt of her tears. "Wake up, my love," he breathed. _

Beep.

Beep.

A piercing noise filtered through the fog of her brain. She slowly blinked her eyes open, the dim lighting around her allowing her to gradually adjust to her surroundings.

Paneled ceiling tiles looked down at her. The air smelled heavily of disinfectant and in the distance she could hear the quiet buzzing of several people talking.

Turning to her right, she saw her bare arm lying exposed over a worn seafoam green blanket. A tiny plastic tube stuck out from the dip in her elbow. It reached up to a large bag of clear fluids that hung above her head.

The next thing she noticed was her left hand lying across her stomach. Surrounding the hidden layers of gauze and plaster that covered most of her arm, a blue sling secured the appendage to her body.

When she turned to her left, she not only saw but also felt the sensation of something soft and feathery against her lips and chin. Her eyes slid down to the top of a black head of hair.

Alice's small body had curled up against Bella's side, careful not to touch her injured arm. The side of her face rested against Bella's collarbone. It probably wasn't the most comfortable way to lie in bed, but she didn't think her friend minded so much.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," Alice murmured.

She didn't move to look at Bella, but kept her head where it was.

Bella glanced around the hospital room, her eyes grazing over the mounted T.V. in the corner, to the cheap landscape paintings that hung on the wall, to the pulled yellow privacy curtain. The door beyond was left open for the nearby nurses to better hear within her room in case she needed them.

"Where am I?" she asked. Her voice was raw, crackling around the edges of each note her vocal chords produced.

"I thought that much was obvious," Alice teased.

Bella hummed appreciatively. "Specifics, please."

A beat of silence resonated into the air and Bella's gaze began to focus on a crevice where the wall met the ceiling. For a brief moment, she felt the vampire's chest rise and fall, her preserved lungs no longer filling with oxygen but missing the joy of being used.

"You are in the grand care of North Shore Medical Center," Alice explained, her words sounding flat in the purified air. "Carlisle has made sure that you receive the best care."

The wall and the ceiling began to blend into one another as Bella's eyes focused and unfocused – back and forth.

"Alice?" Bella whispered, her voice barely expelling past her lips.

The petite vampire lifted her head, her amber eyes glistening in the florescent lights as they met the dull muddied gaze of her friend.

Bella licked her chapped lips, wishing suddenly that she had a glass of water.

"What happened?"

The corners of Alice's nostrils flared minutely and her throat moved with the involuntary action of a swallow.

* * *

_The night before… _

Blood.

Her body was covered in it.

He was covered in it.

Her blood.

Her clothes were saturated. His were stained.

Her skin glistened with the crimson fluid. His was tainted with it.

She was covered in blood.

He was covered in her blood.

Edward pushed through the back entrance of the hospital ER doors, the body of his beloved as light as a feather in his arms. Her head lulled against the curve of his shoulder. Her arms hung limply – one dangling against his back, the other draped over the hand that held her upper body.

Though blood stained her skin and clothes, the organ that pumped the vital fluid through her body hardly made a beat within her chest.

His eyes were midnight black, a storm that brewed with the ever-growing desperation of a man in need and on the brink of losing all hope.

Nurses and orderlies stumbled in their strides, their charts forgotten, their gurneys halted. One nurse, startled at the display, dropped a sample of urine to the floor. The bright cadmium liquid spread across the linoleum around her shoes.

"Help me," Edward gasped, his body feeling heavier with her weight every moment he heard her heart slipping away from this world.

And they all stood there. They all stared. The neurons in their brains could not function fast enough to overlook the monstrous appearance of this man before them and help the wounded woman in his arms. Their thoughts penetrated his mind, exploding around him like an erupting minefield.

Livid, the growl that rumbled through his chest was nearly deafening.

"HELP ME!"

The roar that thundered through the halls, sent spider web cracks that snaked through the glass windows of each exam room.

Screams and cries filled the air as more chaos erupted within the halls.

A strong hand suddenly pressed against Edward's back, between his shoulder blades, and immediately a wave of ease washed over him.

Jasper, his gaze an equal shade of black, appeared at Edward's side. The lids of his eyes slowly slid shut and he expelled a warm energy of peace and calm throughout the hospital. It was a wave so powerful, that the patients agonized in the waiting room felt no pain. The newborns in the nursery on the third floor ceased their wails and fell into blissful sleep. The crippled who lived their days in the intensive care unit found solace in the white-washed walls and the yellow isolation gowns that their caregivers wore to feed them, wash them, and tend to their every other need.

For the very first time, every living creature within the building relaxed into a state of sudden silence.

When Jasper opened his eyes, he saw a male nurse in teal scrubs put down the chart in his hands and grab an empty gurney that lay against the wall. Two other nurses followed him as they made their way calmly, yet efficiently, toward Edward.

As Bella was placed gently on the starch white sheets of the bed, Carlisle stepped into view.

He spoke softly with one of the nurses and then followed them as they rushed down the hall toward the surgical center.

People stepped out of their way, like the parting seas.

And Edward stood there beneath the bright, fake lighting – a man covered in his lover's blood. He felt as if his soul had left his own body and had traveled away with hers.

Jasper removed his hand from Edward's back and stood silently next to his brother as he took in the sights of the employees resuming their work. The nurse who dropped the urine sample grabbed a pair of gloves and began to clean up the mess.

_This does not reprieve my previous actions. _Jasper thought._ But I hope that you will allow me to make it up to you… and to Bella._

Edward barely flinched, his eyes focusing on every movement that the gurney made, every slight jostle of Bella's body, every miniscule flutter of her hair…

Finally, his lips parted, his tongue pressed against the back of his teeth, and two words were hushed into the frozen atmosphere around them.

"Thank you."

* * *

_Present…_

Alice's bright, wide eyes stared ahead, almost in fear. Her voice sounded foreign to Bella's ears. "You had to have several transfusions, Izzy," Alice whispered. "You nearly died."

Flashes of fire and chaos danced through Bella's mind. Instead of the fading paint on the bare wall before her, she saw flames. She could almost feel the heat of them as they spread around her. She saw eyes of midnight and skin of snow. She saw bodies clashing together and could recall the thunderous sound when they collided. She saw Alice before her, grasping her hand, whispering incantations beneath her breath. Most importantly, she saw the blurred vision of Edward leaning over her, cupping the back of her head within his hand as her world began to slip away.

"He was a wreck," Alice told her, her voice slicing through the frenzy of memories. "I didn't know what was going to happen the moment I saw him burst through the ER doors."

Bella turned her head slightly toward Alice, her cheek coming into full contact with black hair. "What?" she croaked. "What do mean?"

Alice sighed, a prolonged, heavy sigh, and it was as if she was expelling the stress of both she and her friend. Slowly, she pushed herself up on one elbow and turned to look at Bella. "I mean Edward. He carried you here. He was so crazed…"

Alice's eyes glazed over and a far-off look crossed her face, as if remembering. "A nurse tried to bring Edward to an exam room to have him looked over and he nearly tore her head off. If Jasper hadn't have been there, things would have been much worse."

Bella frowned, not understanding what she meant. "Jasper's here?"

A small grin slid across Alice's lips. "Yes, he's here. He's the reason we were able to get you the help you needed. No one wanted to come near you because of Edward. They were terrified of him. Jasper was able to change that."

Bella stared blankly at her friend before shaking her head. "I don't follow."

"Jasper has the ability to manipulate people's feelings. He feeds off of them and then changes them. It doesn't come without consequences, mind you, but he's very powerful with his gift."

For a moment, it appeared as if she was struggling with what she wanted to say next. Her jaw was set, creating sharp lines around her face. "It's the reason he's with the Volturi."

She looked up at Bella then, her eyes suddenly wide, pleading. "He didn't mean to hurt you, Bella. He truly meant to help save you, but Chelsea beat him to the scene first. In order to save you and Edward, he had to play along with her."

Bella nodded, though she still needed time to process her friend's words. "Tell me what happened, Mary Alice," she whispered, using the vampire's full name. "Tell me what happened after I…"

Alice took Bella's free hand in her own, her thumb gently drawing circles over Bella's skin.

"The Volturi guards waited for us to return from the hospital. And then they left. Aro was sentenced to a lifelong servitude to his brothers Caius and Marcus. You see, as the original rulers of the Volturi, they formed a bond that neither one could break. By betraying his brothers, especially Marcus, Aro can no longer rule in the position that he was in. Caius will now be the head Prince of the Volturi.

I, for one, don't think it was a fair sentence. But, I know that Aro will forever remember the moment he almost died. He'll always remember the feel of my hand over his heart and the way his skin peeled away by the flames that you created. That is the only thing that makes this worth it. He'll be haunted by us forever."

Bella had to smile over that.

"Did you know about Didyme?" Bella asked as Alice settled back down at her side.

"Yes and no. I didn't know the full story until tonight, but I had seen snippets of the truth within Aro's and Edward's thoughts."

"I thought you could only see the future," Bella wondered aloud, her eyes feeling heavy with exhaustion.

Alice carefully placed her arm over Bella's chest, hugging her gently. "Yes, but Didyme's fate was wrapped up in _your_ future, Izzy."

"Hmmm…" Bella hummed sleepily. The drugs that pumped through her veins were beginning to work their magic once more. "What about Marcus?"

"Edward brought him over to the site of Didyme's death. He wasn't angry with Edward, because he knew the truth. In fact, I think he was grateful that Edward brought him there."

Bella could picture the forlorn vampire amidst the woods, sorrow-filled ruby eyes gazing around him through the falling snow.

"And then what?"

Alice shrugged. "He mourned."

The Marcus in Bella's mind slowly fell to the forest floor on his knees, holding his head in his hands.

"Regardless of Didyme's actions, she was his mate. Just as I am Jasper's and you are Edward's," Alice explained. "Your mate is a part of you. They are your other half and to be without them, is to lose part of yourself. You are never truly whole after a loss like that. Marcus was never fully a part of this reality because most of his soul had died with her. I think being at the site of her death brought him some closure."

The lids of Bella's eyes slowly fluttered up and down as she willed her body to fight against the chemicals that clouded her brain. She needed to know more, and she wasn't going to find out if she fell asleep again.

"You need to rest," Alice murmured, lightly brushing away a few strands of hair from Bella's forehead. "I'll come back later."

Bella felt her weight shift as the bed gave to Alice's body. On impulse, she reached out for Alice's hand, her nimble fingers encircling the vampire's wrist. "Wait," she called out groggily.

Alice, now standing by the bed, turned to her.

Through the drug-induced haze, Bella could still make out the concern in her friend's wide, tawny eyes. A thought had been brewing in her mind ever since she awoke, and she needed to know the truth before her body succumbed to the pain meds that flowed through her system.

"Why am I not dead?"

Alice hesitated, though her eyes never left Bella's exhausted gaze. She bent forward, placing her hands gently on either side of Bella's head, only pausing when their foreheads met.

"_See_," Alice breathed.

It was like an electric shock exploded up her limbs. Bella's eyes widened, her pupils dilating, and she automatically clutched onto the fabric of Alice's shirt.

Before her, images spun in the irises of Alice's eyes, until they encompassed her mind completely.

A world so different, and yet so familiar, passed before her. She saw her best friend kneeling before a fire so many years ago, the hem of her skirts stained with mud. Her long, raven hair fell loose around her shoulders, framing the heart-shaped face that held such strong features. She held out her hand, palm kissing the sky, and with the other hand, she held a blade. The blade, painted with rust, sliced through the vampire's skin as she threw the force of her strength behind the blow. Clear liquid seeped out of the open wound, almost translucent against the pale, snowy flesh. It dropped into a tin cup filled with a substance that Bella couldn't quite make out. Within seconds, the wound on Alice's hand had healed. She dropped the blade, closed her eyes and began murmuring words into the air. Flames sprang from the top of the liquid, dancing inside the rim of the glass. And just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving behind a blue-tinged smoke that rose into the night sky.

The next thing Bella saw made her heart stop and start all at once.

"_Here, drink this Izzy." _

_Isabella sat at the wooden table in the middle of her small kitchen, head in her hands. Mary Alice placed a glass of brown liquid before her and she grimaced, knowing exactly what it was. _

"_I have no need of a tonic, Mary." _

_The dirtied hem of Mary Alice's skirt swirled around her ankles as she sat opposite of Isabella. A stray piece of ebony hair fell out from beneath her coif and she hastened to tuck it back in. "You will need it. I've seen it."_

"_Why?" Isabella asked, her voice slightly panicked. _

_Mary Alice didn't say a word, but silently pushed the glass closer to her friend. _

Bella gasped for breath, her chest heaving; her body shaking. She felt the cold of Alice's hands leave her face, yet her own hands still clung to the material of Alice's shirt.

Unbeknownst to her, tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and slid fast down her cheeks.

A frown shaped the small, thin lips of Alice's mouth. "I couldn't let you die, Izzy," she murmured. "But I couldn't turn you into one of my own. My blood – my venom – is what keeps you alive today. My spell diluted its strength enough that you would never turn into a vampire, but that you would live longer than any mortal should ever dream of."

Her chin quivered and her tawny eyes watered, though no tears fell from her sorrow-filled gaze.

"It was the only choice I had," she muttered, her voice breaking. "I didn't want to lose you, Izzy. I'm so sorry."

Bella felt the weight of her friend collapse over her, sobs raking through her petite form.

Silence seemed to flood her mind. Gone were the cries that escaped Alice's lips. Gone were the voices that drifted outside her door and the echoing intercom that spread throughout the air. The beeping of her heart on the monitor had disappeared. The sound of her breathing had left her ears.

Bella stared ahead, past the tufts of ebony hair that tickled her chin. She felt the room slowly begin to slip away – stark whites and bold browns bleeding into black. And as the pressure in her head returned, she was left with the truth swimming around in her mind.

She wanted to reassure Alice. She wanted to place her hand on her friend's back in a comforting way and tell her that 'it was okay.' But her body was losing against the chemicals that invaded her brain and sung through her nerves.

Eventually, there was nothing but a black void that engulfed her and allowed her to slip away into a world where nothing, not even she, existed.

* * *

For several hours, maybe days, Bella drifted in and out of the haze that wanted to capture her completely. She longed to break free, and yet she wanted to stay in the comfort of the solace it gave to her mind.

At one point she heard humming. It was a beautiful sound that drifted above her, kissing her brow, her eyelashes, the tip of her nose and down to the curve of her chin. She felt its melody flow through her and she longed to listen to it for all eternity, just curled up in her world of darkness and the comfort of the lullaby.

At another point, she felt cold against her face. The cold was almost barely there, like a feather flitting ever so lightly over her skin. With the cold, the familiar humming came and went.

Soon, the lullaby transformed into colorful lines that sliced through the midnight void of her mind. They danced and spun and splattered across her brain, creating the shape of a man with cinnamon hair and honey eyes. He sat beside her, hovering over her, his features distraught, his lips turned down. She wanted to reach out and touch this man – this being who issued the song she so loved to hear in the darkness.

His form began to fade in and out as the lullaby drifted away. She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to be left in the dark anymore. She wanted to be brought into the light, into his warmth.

And so with all of her strength she reached out to him.

Her hand found his, her fingers brushing against his flesh.

He looked up at her, startled, the golden flecks in his eyes shining brilliantly.

Suddenly, there was light.

* * *

_Reviews are better than strange vampire tonics._

(BTW, some of you guessed correctly on how Bella stayed alive all this time. Kudos to you!)_  
_


	18. Ch 17: Forever

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** This is the final "chapter" for _Maledictum Magae_. The epilogue will be posted soon. I just want to thank all of you who took the time to read this story. This is the first Twilight multi-chaptered fic that I've completed, so this is pretty big for me. You guys have been amazing. It's been a pleasure to write this story and share it with you, so thank you for going on this journey with me. I'm giving a special shout-out to my beta **twi-ction** (you are INCREDIBLE), **katinki** (who constantly recced this fic on her twitter and who has just been all around awesome), and **eibbil** and **thybeauty** (who really started spreading the word about MM). There are others out there who have consistently supported MM as well (you know who you are!) so thank you again to all of you. Though it's tough to say goodbye to Witchella, I hope you all enjoy the end of this little tale.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Forever**

She remembered his presence beside her, the weight of his arm around her waist, and the soft whisper of his words drifting into her ear.

She remembered his fingers combing through her tangled hair, gently untying the twists and knots that the silk threads had formed.

She remembered the soothing pressure of his lips against her cheek, awakening the cells within her flesh.

She remembered the moment the nurse pulled out the IV in her arm, and she turned to look back at him, smiling.

Now, as she sat in the backseat of a car, bundled up in a winter coat, the sun shining through the trees overhead, she held his hand within her grasp, vowing to always remember the feel of his skin against hers.

She felt his eyes on her as she watched people walking on the sidewalks, their boots leaving prints in the snow.

"We're almost there," Alice said, her voice drifting back from the passenger seat.

Bella continued to observe the waking moments of others' lives. She watched a little boy, the hood of his coat tied tightly around his face, running down the sidewalk toward his father. An elderly woman opened the door to her bakery, flipping the "Closed" sign to "Open." A dog barked, his tail wagging, as his owner jogged down the steps to leash him up for a morning walk.

"Are you all right?" Edward murmured quietly at her side.

She turned to him, the neck of her jacket mussing her hair around her chin. "Yeah," she whispered, her lips curling into a soft grin.

Moments later, they pulled up to the front of the inn that Bella had checked into several days ago.

"Edward took care of your room while you've been away," Jasper said, unbuckling his seatbelt from the driver's seat. "The manager knows that you're coming back today. Everything should be the way you left it."

His claret eyes met hers in the rearview mirror and she nodded once to let him know that she understood.

Though Jasper had confessed his apologies and did his best to help her whenever he could, Bella still felt a slight unease when he was around. She knew it was all for naught, but she couldn't forget the night she first met him. That entire night would forever be ingrained into her memory.

Another car pulled up behind them and the doors pushed open to reveal the rest of Edward's family.

Carlisle immediately went to open Bella's door, his hand held out for her to take.

Unbuckling her seatbelt was a challenge as she still felt weak, but Edward was at her side to help her out and into Carlisle's arms.

It was odd, being so close to Carlisle again. Before Alice's supposed death, Carlisle had acted as a second father for her, always encouraging her with her talents. Now, after everything, she wanted to trust him to be that same figure again.

The light in his tawny eyes glistened as he smiled down at her, and she quickly looked away, feeling unsure.

A woman, her hair the color of warm allspice, walked over to them. Bella knew her to be Carlisle's mate, Esme. Her rich scarlet eyes were oddly comforting.

"Come with me, sweetheart," Esme murmured, stealing Bella away from the confines of Carlisle's embrace. "I'll help you up to your room."

And Bella smiled, a true smile. This woman barely knew her, yet she accepted her with open arms. She felt the faint heat of tears behind her eyes. Nearly four hundred years had gone by, and not once had Bella truly experienced any kind of motherly affection. Though the vampire beside her had veins of liquid ice and skin of frost, she radiated enough warmth that made Bella feel calm and at peace.

Once inside her room, tucked under the sheets of her small bed, she let her eyes drift shut. The sounds of Edward and Alice's family outside in the hallway became a soft buzz that lulled her mind into a shadowy world.

Minutes later, the soft click of her door being opened and closed stirred her mind to the present. Though her eyes were still shut, she could sense his presence in her room.

She heard the heels of his boots softly tap against the hardwood floor as he walked toward her. She heard, and almost felt, the pause in his stride as he stood next to her bed.

A breath of contentment escaped her lips as his fingers softly caressed the side of her cheek.

When he turned to leave, her hand reached out for him.

"Stay," she mumbled, her fingers loosely wrapped around his wrist.

She felt him lift her hand to his lips, kissing her skin, before setting her hand back down at her side. The sound of his shoes being placed on the floor and his quiet footsteps to the other side of her bed made her heart do a funny flip within her chest.

He chuckled softly as he climbed into bed beside her.

"At least this is a bit bigger than the bed in your dorm room," he teased.

She smiled and rolled over to him on her right side. Her left arm was still in its cast and she longed to stretch it out across his chest.

"Hold me," she breathed against the skin of his neck.

His arms moved beneath her, lifting her body until she was practically lying on top of him. She felt his fingers roam through the strands of her hair while his other hand rested protectively on her waist.

He kissed the top of her head. "Sleep, Isabella," he crooned. "Sleep, my love."

She dreamt of summer days and fields of green. She dreamt of flowers springing from the earth beneath her hands, their petals blooming in vibrant shades of the rainbow. She dreamt of a boy standing at the edge of the woods, his bronze hair glistening brilliantly beneath the sun, and he smiled.

When she finally woke, she realized that she was on her back and Edward was propped up on his elbow, looking down at her.

An amused grin graced his lips. "Oh, to know what you were dreaming."

Bella hummed appreciatively and allowed her body to stretch. "What time is it?"

"Nearly five in the afternoon."

An annoyed expression distorted her features. "And you let me sleep the whole day away?"

"Yes," Edward affirmed with a nod. "You needed the rest."

"I feel like I've slept enough to last me a full year," she complained, releasing a heavy sigh. "But I still feel so tired and weak…"

"Your strength will come back soon," Edward assured her, his hand rubbing soothing circles over her stomach.

She reached up to cup the side of his face, her thumb gently tracing his lips. "Thank you," she whispered.

Edward frowned, the skin in his forehead wrinkling as confusion danced in his gaze. "For what?"

"For saving my life."

A low growl rumbled through Edward's chest and he rolled away from her, his eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"I should have never involved myself in your life," he admitted, his face contorting in a scowl. "You could have died, Isabella."

"My wounds are my own fault, Edward. You _saved_ me. End of story."

"No, it's not." His voice rose in volume and he turned to look at her, his amber eyes fierce in the growing shadows of the room. "What would I have done if I lost you?"

"But you didn't," she whispered. "You'll never lose me, Edward."

"I could have," he sighed, turning his gaze back up to the ceiling.

Bella watched the tenseness fill in every line and curve of his face. His exquisite features were suddenly flawed with his own resentment. It annoyed her to no end.

"Are you always this broody?" she asked.

He didn't answer.

"You know, if my arm wasn't pinned to my chest, I'd be on top of you right now kissing you senseless until you forgot how stupid you're being," she blurted out. "But since I can't, you better get over here instead."

She reached out to him, her fingers clutching onto the fabric of his shirt, and tugged his body closer until he had rolled overtop of her. He pushed back slightly, careful to keep his weight off of her injured arm.

"You're insufferable sometimes, do you know that?" he huffed indignantly, his face inches from hers.

"Oh shut up, Edward, and kiss me."

His lips tasted of frost and the spices of winter. She invited the soft pressure against her mouth, her free hand reaching up to tangle in the copper waves of his hair.

But he pulled away too soon for her liking and she released an irritated sigh as the hand within his hair tried to tug him back down.

He resisted, of course.

In the dim lighting of the room, Bella could clearly see the translucent liquid that coated his eyes.

His hand shook as he caressed the pale skin of her cheek.

"Hey," she whispered soothingly. Her eyes searched his for some sort of sign that might display his deepest secrets. When there was nothing to be found, but a faint glimmer of the truth, too tangled and destroyed to discern, she smiled. It was a sad smile that graced her lips – an effort to show him that she was okay and things would be fine.

"Tell me," she breathed, her voice barely hinting in the air.

His jaws clenched, and like the internal mechanics of a machine, she could practically see the wheels in his brain straining to shut down, preventing the thoughts in his mind to linger anymore.

Using the leverage of his body, Bella moved her hand to his shoulder, lifting her body up to his and forcing them in a sitting position, Edward kneeling between her thighs.

She tilted her chin up, her hand moving to the back of his neck as he bowed his head before her, and her lips softly pressed against the skin of his brow. Slowly, but surely, the tension began to release through his unused pores and she dragged her mouth lightly down the side of his face until her lips hovered over the defined edge of his jaw. She kissed the skin there too.

A breath of ice relinquished into the air, pushing past his lips and feathering the tangled strands of hair next to her cheek.

She moved to look into his mournful eyes once more.

And she waited patiently.

A beat of silence passed between them – a moment of chocolate and honey irises swirling into one.

Finally, Edward's jaw unhinged and his quiet, haunted voice spilled into the atmosphere.

"Alice showed you the truth."

Five simple words, that could have meant anything, twirled invisibly in front of her. Yet, Bella didn't need to think to know what he was referring to.

"Yes," she replied, her voice soft but resolute.

Edward's jaw clenched once more in response.

His gaze held hers as he took her wrist within his hands. She watched, mesmerized as he lifted the small complexity of joints, its skin exposed, to his nose. He inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering shut.

"I can smell it," he growled. "The venom – it's not as potent as it was before. You lost so much blood..."

"But I'm fine," she reasoned, wanting to pull her hand back into the safety of her lap, but too compelled by his nature to do so. "I'm still _me_, Edward."

"I never wanted you to become like me," he revealed, his voice pained. "But even with the small amount of venom in your system, you're still so vulnerable. I feel like we have no choice but to change y –"

"Edward," Bella interrupted, scooting closer to him. "I love you. I love you more than I could ever hope, but I…" her voice drifted away, her eyes staring unblinkingly at the anxious expression on his face. "I don't… want to be… a vampire."

For a moment, there was nothing. Not even the birds in the trees nearby could be heard as the sun began to set.

Edward began to pull away from her. "Bella… all it would take is another mistake. One more accident like the one we just had and – "

"And I could die, I know," she finished, her will never faulting. "Alice never wanted me to become like one of you either. She made it possible for me to keep safe and still be semi-human, but with that came consequences. I didn't understand that until now. To her, living a life _like_ an immortal was better than either becoming one or being killed by one. I know the risks. I know that I don't have as much venom in my system as I once did. I don't think I'll ever age, but I also don't think I'll be as immune to things as I once was. What happened with the Volturi would surely kill me if it were to happen again. What I did cost me time; how much of it, I'll never be certain..."

Frozen, his body as still as a statue, Edward sat before her, his eyes wide with fear. She no longer saw the vampire within him, but the human who still lived throughout his very soul. His voice was cracked when he spoke, the syllables breaking and crashing against his tongue. "I just found you," he wept, though the evidence of tears was not visible on his face. "I can't lose you."

"You won't," she whispered. "Edward, I've lived a very long time and I've had to come to terms with what I am. I've had to accept that I lived a life where the choices were already made for me. But this is something that I need. I _need_ this choice to be mine and no one else's."

Slowly, she reached out for his hand, her fingers intermingling with his. "Can you understand that?"

He didn't respond right away, but eventually he nodded, his shoulders sagging.

Despair grasped at her heart as she watched defeat sink into every fiber of his being. "Edward," she whispered, pulling his hand to her heart. "Whether I live for a few more hours or for as long as eternity, I want every moment to be spent with you."

He looked up at her then, and the love that he held for her swam unhidden within his eyes.

She smiled and allowed her eyes to close, her hand still keeping his against her chest. The energy within her lay dormant in her broken state, but his touch ignited little sparks that burst forth in the darkness. She felt the power prickle beneath her skin, slinking through the nerves in her muscles and the vessels of her organs.

Suddenly, the lights began to flicker on and off.

The magic that flowed through her began to build, increasing in its pace from her limbs to the very organ which Edward claimed – her heart. And when it reached its destination, a feeling of warmth unlike she had ever felt before spread throughout her soul. It seeped through her bones and the flesh of her chest, spreading right into Edward's fingertips. She actually heard the parting of his lips as he felt heat radiate through his arm.

Her eyes slowly opened, finding his startled gaze. "That's us," she murmured. "As long as I have you, I won't need anything more to keep me alive."

Her body was pulled flush against his within seconds as his mouth laid claim to hers. She was sure the pain receptors in her arm screamed at the contact, but she never felt a thing. All she was aware of was his body against hers, his lips moving with hers, his hands roaming over her flesh…

A loud pop echoed from behind them and Bella jumped, startled. And as they both turned to the source of the sound, the power went out.

Their heavy, intermingled breathing was the only thing audible in the air, until…

"Seriously?" a male voice called through the wall of Bella's room.

Edward sighed. "Emmett."

"_American Idol_ is about to come on!"

A shocked, but breathy, laugh escaped Bella's lips. "Umm…"

Even in the darkness, she could make out the embarrassment that masked Edward's face. "About Emmett…"

"About Emmett?" his brother called out. "What about Bella, eh?"

"Would you shut up!" a female voice responded, which Bella could only assume was Emmett's mate, Rosalie. "_Everybody_ can hear you!"

The lights flickered once. Twice. And finally, came back on.

A muffled "yes!" drifted through the wall.

Edward chuckled quietly, shaking his head, and carefully extracted himself from Bella.

She watched him for a moment, puzzled as she scooted back to the comforting embrace of her pillow.

"That was Alice," he explained. "She just told me with her thoughts that she turned the power back on."

"Right," Bella affirmed, though her mind began to race. "I almost forgot about the mind reading thing…"

Edward sighed, an amused grin plastered on his face as he ran a hand through the bronze, messy waves of his hair. "Guess we need to talk more about the family, don't we?"

Bella smiled but it was short lived. She watched the boyish charm slowly fade away from Edward's features, his hand sluggishly slipping down his neck. The light in his eyes quivered until his irises were merely a pair of flickering flames. His gaze lowered to the forgotten, wrinkled sheets and he tried to upturn the corners of his lips, but failed.

Fingers, outstretched, were splayed before him. He looked up to see Bella reaching for his presence, her gaze beckoning his heart.

And when he crawled over to her, his body collapsing beside of her, she cradled his head to her chest, her cheek resting against the pillow of his hair.

"Tell me about vampires," she whispered, eliciting a warm chuckle from his lips.

"Any vampires or _my_ vampires?" he questioned.

She kissed the top of his head. "Yours."

A wasted breath escaped his nostrils as he sighed heavily. His voice was quiet as he spoke, and she listened patiently, her fingers lightly combing through the waves of his hair.

"June twentieth, thirteen thirty-two," he uttered. "That was the day of my birth."

Bella's fingers paused and her eyes widened infinitesimally, but she didn't dare breathe a word.

"I lived just outside of London with my parents. I don't remember much of my human life, but I do know that I was happy. My father supplied a lot of the wool to the villagers due to the fact that we owned sheep. And my mother…" he paused, as if trying to remember a time his mind could no longer grasp. "She had green eyes. I remember that."

Bella resumed stroking his hair, coaxing him to tell her more.

"I remember coming home one day after working out in the fields with my father. It was hot… and I remember my throat feeling very sore, like I was getting a cold or something. The next day, I found a rash on my arm in the shape of a ring. Have you ever heard of the rhyme, 'Ring Around the Rosy?'"

"Pockets full of posies…" Bella replied softly, already dreading what she was about to hear.

"Ashes, ashes."

"We all fall down."

"The black plague swept through London during that time," he explained. "I was seventeen when I died, Isabella."

Her voice felt caught in her throat. She could barely think enough to breathe. "You… you died from the black plague?"

A sardonic grin shaped his lips. "Almost. Carlisle found me, lying in the streets. He was trying to help the ones who were sick. No one else would come near us, although I can't really blame them," he murmured. "Carlisle was already a vampire at that time. The plague did nothing to him, so he was safe to walk amongst the dying."

"He knew my father well and often helped him sheer the sheep. I remember looking up to him when I was younger, like he was a second father," Edward admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "My parents died of the plague. When Carlisle found me, he vowed to not leave me alone. And so I was turned."

"What was it like?" Bella whispered, her voice hoarse.

There was an unbearable silence that filled the room for a minute or more. The only sound that could be heard was the beating of Bella's heart deep within her chest.

"Horrifying," Edward finally answered. "Like fire eating away at your nerves. You can feel them fray and fracture. You can feel your organs calcifying and your muscles hardening. It was pain unlike I had ever felt before. For days I screamed and cried out, wanting it to be over. I wished that the plague would have taken me, so that I would never have had to endure such agony."

Frightened with the mental image of Edward writhing on the ground in pain, Bella lay frozen next to him, her fingers gripping the strands of his hair.

"Three days," he muttered. "Three long, painful days. But then it was over… and I was a vampire."

She swallowed hard, unable to speak.

"My senses were stronger, sharper. I had speed and strength unlike I had ever thought possible. But most importantly, I was hungry. I craved blood like a human craves oxygen. I needed it to live, and after being given a second chance, I was going to take whatever I could get. Carlisle taught me the way of his lifestyle. Do you remember me telling you that some of us feed off of animals?"

Bella managed a small nod.

"Carlisle had been that way ever since he had changed. He never liked what he was and so strived to be a better creature in the position he was given. I slipped several times in my younger years, but eventually, I was able to curb my desire for human blood. It's never easy, but I've learned to satisfy my need through the blood of animals."

"What about my blood?" Bella asked him. "You told me that it has never bothered you, but I find that hard to believe."

"It's divine," he sighed guiltily, reaching up to take her hand within his and bringing it to his lips. "But it's also tainted."

He looked up at her then, his tawny eyes vibrant. "You know I would never hurt you, Bella. Whether your blood was tainted with venom or not, I would never harm you. Please tell me you know that?"

She nodded vigorously and kissed his forehead. "Of course I do."

Contented, Edward settled his head back down to her chest, his hand splayed out gently across her stomach. "Carlisle was a member of the Volturi when he met me. What I later found out was that they had forbidden any of their guards to change or feed off of the victims from the plague, not knowing what would happen. But he couldn't leave me, and when we discovered my talent for reading minds, he brought me to the Volturi. My ability was the only thing that saved me… and him. Aro was so intrigued with me, that I became a pet to him. In order for me to keep my undead life, I had to serve them."

"How did the rest of your family get involved?"

"Jasper and Rosalie were actually part of the guard when I was first brought there. They did and still share the appetite for human blood, but they've learned to control their thirst by limiting themselves to either feeding off of criminals or stealing blood bags from the hospitals. Rosalie hates both of those options, but she prefers it to killing innocent people."

"Criminals are still people though," Bella argued. "Do they really deserve that fate?"

Edward shrugged; the action tickled her skin. "Depends on what they did, I guess. Carlisle has tried to change them to his diet, but it's not so easy. Human blood is hard to resist and with as old as they are, it's not easy to change their ways. The same goes for his mate, Esme."

"Was he with Esme when he found you?" she asked.

"No. Esme didn't come to us for another hundred or so years. Because Carlisle was such an asset to the guard, Aro couldn't refuse his request to allow Esme to live with us, as long as she followed their ways. I think Esme would have fed from animals, had she been given the chance, but it was either live the life of a true vampire or die. She chose life. Emmett was also a similar case. Rosalie and Jasper were siblings and though Rosalie doesn't possess a real gift, Caius had a soft spot for her fierceness. When Rosalie found Emmett, there was no refusing him."

"And Alice?"

Edward chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Alice was different. She _came_ to us. When she had explained that she had no recollection of how she was changed, but had a vision that she was supposed to be there with us all, Aro found his new pet. He was delighted to see her, actually. He let her have more freedoms and she chose the lifestyle that Carlisle and myself live. It was also an added bonus that she possessed the power of magic."

Bella placed her hand on his shoulder, her fingers lazily tracing shapes on his shirt. "So how did you all become a family?"

Edward shrugged. "The Volturi guards have their own little niches. Everyone in my family was put through similar circumstances, so we became close. We chose to form our own niche and we all took on the last name of 'Cullen,' except for Jasper and Rosalie whose last name is 'Hale.'"

A hum of appreciation rumbled through Bella's chest. "Tell me more about vampires. I know that some of you have special talents, but what are all of the basics?"

"I thought you researched us," Edward teased. "Weren't all of your journals about your findings and experiences?"

She gasped suddenly. "You knew what those were?"

"I followed you for hundreds of years. Of course I knew."

Bella tried pinching his arm, but found the skin hard to manipulate. "What the hell," she grumbled, causing him to laugh.

"Lesson number one – vampires have granite-like skin. I'm sure you feel the difference between my body and yours, Bella. It's what makes us nearly indestructible."

"Hmm…" She lay there next to him, her mind recounting the memory of their embrace in the old shambles of her withered home. "What about sunlight? You told me it doesn't harm you."

A sound similar to a snort escaped his nostrils. "You would laugh if I told you."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Sunlight makes our skin sparkle," he explained. "Like millions of diamonds. That's why we don't make ourselves known when the sun is out. It would attract too much unwanted attention."

A goofy sort of grin formed her lips. "You sparkle, Cullen? How very manly of you."

This time, Bella received the smallest of pinches on her side and it made her squeal with laughter, which eventually turned into a painful moan as she accidentally moved her injured arm in the process. "Asshole," she muttered.

"Sorry," he whispered quietly, placing a light kiss to her cast. "I will not make you laugh again. I swear."

"You better not, glitter boy. I just might cast some sunlight in this room to get a good look at you."

A playful growl rumbled through his chest. "Not. Funny."

"Very," she countered. "So what else? Can you make fog come out of nowhere and turn into a bat, like Dracula?"

"No," he chuckled. "All myth. Well… I guess Alice could make some of that happen since she's a witch. She can change her appearance too. That's why she had long hair when you first met her, as well as why Carlisle and myself had longer hair during that era. She could change others' appearances as well. Typically, we stay the same throughout our immortal lives, never aging. I presume the venom in you is what kept you from aging as well. Anyway, the change enhances our human features and makes us more desirable to our prey. It's a hunting mechanism. Oh, and we can't cry."

"Really?"

"Not a single tear. Our bodies don't produce any kind of bodily fluids."

"Interesting," she observed, arching an eyebrow at him. "Well, I guess it makes sense that Alice can change her appearance. I did that too, to keep me from having been too noticeable throughout the years."

Smiling, Edward scooted up the bed so that he was looking down at her. "I remember. I personally liked the short bob look in the sixties. Your hair was cut down at angle against your jawbone. It was very becoming."

Bella screwed up her face in disgust. "Blech… you liked that? Seriously? I couldn't stand it. I was so used to having longer hair, but it fit in with the style then and I needed a new appearance."

"I thought it was rather cute," he reflected, twirling a small section of her hair around his finger.

"You know," Bella said suddenly, slowly pushing herself up to a sitting position. "I just realized something… I'm older than you."

Confusion settled within the frown that creased his brow. "No you're not."

"Yes, I am. When I was given venom – thanks to you lot – I was eighteen. You were seventeen when you died. So… technically, I'm older than you."

A very satisfied grin lit up her face, as she seemed very pleased with her discovery. "Ha. I'm your superior, aren't I?"

"Cougar," Edward bantered back, a mischievous light shimmering in his eyes.

She playfully swatted at his chest. "You like it and you know it."

"I will not deny that."

Laughing, she leaned her head against the headboard. Her body was starting to feel weak again and her chest was sore from her jovial demeanor. She had been in the hospital for about a week before they cleared her to leave, but her injured ribs were still healing and occasionally twinged with pain.

"Time to rest," Edward whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'll go get you something to eat, if you'd like. I'm sure there are a number of restaurants around here."

"What if I wanted Ramen?" she joked.

Edward made a choking sound in the back of his throat. "God, you're going to make me get that for you forever, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," she replied with a wicked grin. "And you'll do it because you love me so."

"That I do," he replied, leaning in to place a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Seriously, though," Bella murmured, running her hand down the side of his face. "Are you okay with me not becoming a vampire?"

Sighing, Edward kissed her once more. "Of course I am. I might be a selfish creature, but I would never make you do something you didn't want to do, Isabella. Besides, you've got seven vampires to make up your family. Nothing's going to happen to you, so get used to eternity."

"Yes sir," she responded in a mock serious voice. Smiling, she kissed him once more before her stomach began to grumble.

"Guess that's my cue," he uttered, rolling over to move off of the bed. Once standing, Edward paused, his head tilted in the direction of the door.

"What is it?" Bella asked.

"It's Alice. She's waiting for you."

Without another thought, Bella reached out her hand to him. "Help me up," she requested, pushing herself up from the bed. Edward took her hand, helping her stand with ease. She gripped his hand tightly to steady herself as he walked her to the door.

Sure enough, on the other side, waiting in the hallway, was Alice – the short, petite vampire with spikey raven hair. Her round golden eyes were anxious as she looked to her best friend.

Bella remembered Alice's sob of forgiveness in the hospital several nights ago, and since then she hadn't been able to talk to her about it.

"Walk with me?" Alice asked, her voice timid.

Nodding, Bella took the jacket that Edward handed her and followed Alice outside. They walked quietly down the hall, neither saying a word even as they walked down the stairs.

The frigid wind bit at her cheeks as they stepped outside of the inn. Bella threw her jacket on around her shoulders, her body shuddering into its limited warmth.

Alice turned to her then and helped her into her jacket, zipping it up. She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. It was as if she was afraid of Bella. Her movements were hesitant in a way that made her seem as if she were preparing for shouts of blame and tears of regret.

Bella moved past her toward a barren tree that stood between the inn and the road. She knelt down next to the trunk and brushed away the snow that had collected against the base of its roots.

Alice followed her and knelt down in front of the tree as well.

Placing her hand over the newly exposed decaying blades of grass, Bella closed her eyes. She felt the energy flow through her, spreading beneath the skin of her arm and out of the tips of her fingers. When she opened her eyes, a vibrant green stem sprouted up from the ground. It grew taller, giving birth to leaves and small thorns, until a single bud bloomed to display the magenta petals hidden within. She pulled it up from the earth, her eyes taking in the details of her magic, and she held the rose out to her friend.

Snowflakes began to fall around them, sticking to their jackets and the tendrils of their hair.

Through the drifting icy stars, Bella saw the glowing aurous irises in her friend's eyes.

Carefully, Alice took the rose from Bella's hand.

"What's done is done," Bella spoke, her breath fogging into the air in small opaque puffs. "I do not blame you for anything, Alice. I didn't understand what had happened to me for a long time, but Edward has explained everything. You saved my life three hundred and seventy-five years ago, and you saved my life yet again. I still think of you as my best friend and that will never change. No matter what happens," Bella confessed, reaching out to grasp Alice's hand in hers. "I will love you. Always."

Alice's gaze filled with tears that would never fall, and her chin began to tremble, though Bella knew it wasn't from the cold. In that moment, she dropped the rose to the snow-laden ground and wrapped her arms around Bella's body, pulling her into a tight embrace.

The snowfall swirled around them, and Bella closed her eyes. Nearly four hundred years she had been alone. Now, she had hope and she had love. Most importantly, she had a family again, even if that family was full of vampires.

_Maledictum Magae_ – the witch's curse. It was how she had once described her life, but that curse had been lifted the moment she found Edward. It was he and his family who had broken the spell that caged her life.

As the snowflakes fell heavily in the air, and Alice's grip tightened around her body, Bella smiled, for she would no longer be alone.

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**_Reviews are better than a witch's curse._**

**_**The Epilogue will be posted soon! **_**


	19. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in this story except for my own little plot line. Everything else is property of the genius Stephenie Meyer.

******A/N:** Again, thank you to everyone who read this little story. If you're interested in knowing what I will be working on next, it will be resurrecting "Secret Prophecies." As always, thank you **twi-ction** for being such an amazing beta! **  
**

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**Epilogue **

The barest hint of sunlight streamed in through the window, highlighting the worn pages of her book. She sat at a desk, her legs tucked beneath her, her sleeves pulled down to cover her hands. The frigid air that clung to the molecules around her would not leave her be. Within the walls of the library at Washington State University, she shivered and thought about how little things had changed over the course of ten years.

The glasses that perched upon the bridge of her nose slid down a fraction, and so she quickly exposed one hand to push them back up. She didn't need the frames to improve her sight, but they made her feel more scholarly somehow.

Every so often, she would flip a page in her book. And sometimes she would watch the dust particles dance in the air, trapped in the sliver of light that emitted from the sun outside.

A gale of frozen wind blew past the old windows, and Bella trembled fiercely. She dug quickly in the bag next to her and pulled out a scarf. Her hair had been cut short, its ends framing the angle of her jaw, and so she wrapped the scarf around her bare neck to protect it from the impending chills.

Moments passed by, where words were read and pages were turned.

"Excuse me?" a voice called from above her as a shadow passed over her opened book.

Bella glanced up to the source of the sound. Her breath momentarily ceased as she gazed up at a man with hair the color of ground cinnamon and eyes as warm as honey. His lips took the shape of a crooked grin that set her heart stuttering within her chest.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, pointing to the empty chair opposite her.

She found herself smiling, her body warming at the sight of him. "Only if you're not going to ask me for help on an anthropology paper. Then no… it is not taken."

Amused, the man bent down to place a kiss on her forehead. "Why thank you, Mrs. Cullen," he murmured. "And how has your day been?"

"It would be a lot better if I were warm," she complained, though her smile had not faded.

"Hmmm…" he hummed. "Well, that just won't do. Perhaps, I should help warm you up."

His lips brushed against hers and a contented sigh spilled from her lungs. She took his face within her hands, the diamond ring on her left hand glistening beneath the florescent lights in the room, and she brought his mouth firmly upon hers, melting into the kiss that he willingly gave.

A sharp clearing of the throat disturbed the air next to them and they pulled apart, turning to see who had interrupted the moment.

Esme Cullen, the waves of her chestnut hair wrapped up in a bun atop of her head, gazed down at a small pile of papers, a pen in her hand. She stood next to their table, her eyes roaming over the papers in her grasp and not once looking up at them as she spoke. "Library hours are for reading and studying only, and Edward, if you even think of saying that you are studying anatomy, I will send you out this instant."

Finally, she peered up at them over the thin-framed glasses that covered her muddied brown eyes, a result from colored contact lenses. The hint of a smile ghosted her face.

Edward straightened and nodded toward his adoptive mother. "Yes ma'am. It won't happen again."

"Good," she replied, turning to walk away. "Oh, and Bella dear?"

Bella looked up at Esme just as Edward sat down across from her.

"I made you chicken parmesan for dinner and had Alice put it in the refrigerator."

Her stomach growled hungrily in response. "Thanks, Esme."

Now smiling, Esme turned to leave. Within moments, however, several more people appeared at their table.

Emmett and Jasper pulled up extra chairs as Rosalie and Alice set their bags on the floor.

"Watcha readin'?" Alice asked cheerily, sitting down next to her.

"_Pride and Prejudice_," Bella answered, flipping the book over to show its cover. "I'm taking the Jane Austen class again."

"Mr. Darcy," Emmett crooned in a mock British accent as he turned a chair backwards and sat down, his arms resting on the top of the crest rail.

Edward looked over at him in annoyance. "That was horrible."

"Oh get over yourself, Eddie."

"We saw you two being chided by Esme," Jasper observed, a knowing grin on his face.

Rosalie huffed beside of him. "She's become insufferable ever since she got this job at the library."

"I think she's just happy to do something that doesn't involve the Volturi anymore," Alice suggested, pulling out her own books.

"I'll tell you what's become insufferable," Emmett added. "These damn contacts. Freakin' annoying as hell."

Bella smirked at him. Along with Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper had donned colored contact lens to mask their red eyes.

"That I'll agree with," Jasper sighed, to which Alice gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"By the way, Bella," Rosalie said, a smile lighting her exquisite face. "Alice and I found the _perfect_ side table to go in your apartment."

"Bloody hell," Edward murmured.

"Don't 'bloody hell' me, glitter boy!" Rosalie seethed, using the nickname that Bella often teased him with.

If Edward were still human, his face would have been the color of a cherry.

A snort erupted through Bella's nostrils as she began laughing hysterically. Soon, Alice began to giggle, and her laugh being as infectious as it was, spread around the table.

"Shhh!" came a resounding hiss from behind them.

"Esme alert," Emmett mumbled.

Still snickering quietly, the group set to work on their studies, all content with being together.

Bella remembered what it was like to sit at that very table alone ten years ago. But many things had happened in those ten years. After a tearful goodbye to her old suitemates, Jessica and Angela, Bella ended up withdrawing from her classes after their return from Salem. Though she would miss her two friends, she had also gained a family that she loved more than anything. She and Edward married soon after and the two of them spent several years just traveling around the world.

Edward still worried over Bella's safety ever since that fateful night in Salem's woods. He accepted her decision to not become an immortal, like him, though it was not without difficulty. She could sense his unease every time she caught a cold, or even just walking in crowds when his hand would slip into hers and draw her body flush against him. She was still resolute in her decision, but it never stopped him from asking her about it again.

"I know I told you that I was okay with it, but what happens if you are on the brink of death? Do you think that I would not follow you?" he had asked her one warm summer day, hidden beneath the shadows of their balcony overlooking the crystalline waters of Crete. "Would you at least _consider_ the option of changing?"

She had sighed, exasperated over the topic, and finished off the remaining wine in her glass. "If that time comes, then _maybe_," she had hinted, raising a warning eyebrow in his direction. "But since Alice has not seen my untimely demise anytime soon, I won't worry about it."

True, Alice had not foreseen any unfortunate happenings in their futures, so with the possibility of Bella accepting his offer, Edward finally began to relax.

Eventually, the mysterious winters of Washington beckoned Bella back. The entire family came back together, deciding to live out another section of their lives. Bella was pleased to learn that Claire's shop was still open. She stopped by to visit her every so often, using her cover story of finally deciding to come back and finish her studies. Esme worked at the library while the rest of them attended classes, and Carlisle had become the lead surgeon at Pullman Regional Hospital. For a few years they would stay, and then eventually they would leave the state and continue on with the next adventure.

For now though, Bella was content with snuggling into her WSU sweater and her homemade scarf, to read about the lives of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett.

She thought eternity had started for her several hundred years ago, but as she caught Edward's gaze and his infamous crooked grin from across the table, she realized it was just the beginning.

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_**The End**_


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